Applied Ethics

Framing ethical perspectives

Applied ethics refers to the practical applications of the moral principles that govern behavior. Carnegie Council focuses on this field, mostly through the realm of international affairs, by identifying and addressing the most critical ethical issues of today and tomorrow. Our initiatives, content, and experts analyze the way that governments, institutions, and individuals interact and make choices on global issues, such as climate change, emerging technology, and governance.

Featured Applied Ethics Resources

Practical conversations, decision analysis, and more

JUL 5, 2023 Article

A Framework for the International Governance of AI

Carnegie Council, in collaboration with IEEE, proposes a five-part AI governance framework to enable the constructive use of AI.

APR 12, 2022 Podcast

Surveillance Tech's Infinite Loop of Harms, with Chris Gilliard

In this discussion with Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel, Chris Gilliard explains why the arc of surveillance technology and novel AI bends toward failures that ...

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JUN 29, 2021 Podcast

The Ethics of Global Vaccine Distribution, Part One, with Cécile Fabre

As we enter the summer of 2021, some nations are seeing vaccination rates of around 50 percent, effectively ending the imminent threat of COVID-19; others are still ...

JUN 24, 2021 Podcast

AI & Equality Initiative: Think Before You Code

ThinkTech is an independent nonprofit association, started by and for students, young technologists, and professionals working to shape the impact of artificial intelligence and other ...

Italian navy rescues asylum seekers in the Mediterranean off the coast of Africa, June 2014. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vfutscher/42322119744">Massimo Sestini/Polaris</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(CC)</a>.

JUN 20, 2021 Article

The World's Refugee System Needs to be Made Responsible

Today, we are faced with an unfair and ultimately unsustainable refugee system that simultaneously increases human suffering while placing the burden of hosting refugees on ...

JUN 9, 2021 Podcast

Illiberal Democracy on the Rise: Examining Brazil, Hungary, & India

The post-World War II liberal order faces unprecedented upheaval as countries and their leaders retreat from globalism, embrace nationalism, and attack democratic norms. Whether it’...

JUN 2, 2021 Article

Narrowing Hearts and Minds: Diagnosing the Global Rise of Illiberal Democracy

From Hungary to India to Brazil to the United States, there is no doubt that illiberalism is on the rise, writes Joel Rosenthal, president of ...

MAY 26, 2021 Podcast

Creative Reflections on the History & Role of AI Ethics, with Wendell Wallach

How is the new global digital economy taking form? What are the trade-offs? Who are the stakeholders? How do we build “participatory intelligence”? In this ...

COVID-19 vaccination line in Nagpur, India, May 2021. CREDIT: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COVID-19_vaccination_queue_01052021.jpg">Ganesh Dhamodkar/Wikimedia</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">(CC)</a>

MAY 20, 2021 Article

Vaccine Diplomacy versus Vaccine Nationalism: Synthesis or Dissonance?

In response to Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev's blog post on "vaccine diplomacy vs. vaccine nationalism" Samuel Owusu-Antwi, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Ghana, ...

President Biden observes vaccine dosage preparations at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, January 29, 2021. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/51145157658/">Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz</a> (<a href="https://www.usa.gov/government-works">U.S. Government Works</a>)

MAY 19, 2021 Article

Vaccine Nationalism versus Vaccine Diplomacy

Health security is a fundamental "doorstep" issue in terms of the intersection of domestic and foreign policy. In this blog post, U.S. Global Engagement ...

Detail from book cover.

MAY 13, 2021 Podcast

Gender Parity in Diplomacy: Solutions from Around the World, with Susan Sloan

Susan Sloan is the author of "A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy, and Lessons for the World." With organizations facing challenges of the pandemic, ...

MAY 11, 2021 Podcast

Global Ethics Review: Ending the Afghanistan War, with Jonathan Cristol

Jonathan Cristol, author of "The United States and the Taliban before and after 9/11," discusses ethics and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in ...