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
MAY 10, 2022 • Podcast
Making Decisions When Values Conflict or Are Prioritized Differently, with Paul Root Wolpe
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 ...
Related Initiatives
Carnegie Ethics Accelerator
The Carnegie Ethics Accelerator is a new kind of incubator designed to empower ethics in the face of swiftly evolving challenges in technology and public policies.
Ethics & International Affairs Journal
Ethics & International Affairs is the quarterly journal of Carnegie Council. It aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics.
Carnegie Ethics Fellows
The Carnegie Ethics Fellows program (CEF) seeks to cultivate the next generation of ethical global leaders across business, policy, technology, NGOs, and academia.
Explore Our Applied Ethics Resources
AUG 24, 2010 • Article
Is Peace Worth Fighting For?
Peace is worth fighting for--but that doesn't mean a blank check for military options, writes Joel Rosenthal. There are better, smarter, more moral ways to ...
AUG 20, 2010 • Article
Can We Succeed Where Carnegie Failed?
Carnegie's belief was that nations could resolve disputes without resorting to war. He worked hard to create mechanisms for achieving peace, but his hopes were ...
AUG 19, 2010 • Article
Should We Stop the Next Genocide?
Should the United States, as the world's greatest military power, use its might to prevent the next outbreak of ethnic violence from turning into a ...
AUG 12, 2010 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Altered Genes and Their Vendors
The evidence on both sides of the genetic modification debate is inconclusive, but attentive regulation could ensure crop safety in developed and developing countries.
AUG 9, 2010 • Podcast
Ethics for a 21st Century Army: Creating a Code of Professional Military Ethics
Major Chris Case (West Point) and David Rodin (Oxford University): What are the basic principles that should guide professional soldiers in the 21st century?
JUL 19, 2010 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Brain Scan Lie Detection
Brain scan data can be powerfully persuasive, but has the science behind it progressed far enough to warrant its use in the courtroom?
JUL 16, 2010 • Podcast
Global Ethics Corner: Who Dies in Afghanistan: Soldiers, Civilians, or the Mission?
How do you choose missions to fight a war effectively, while minimizing civilian deaths and meeting the obligation to your soldiers?
JUL 9, 2010 • Podcast
Ethics in Business: Interview with Felipe Botero, VP, MetLife
Felipe Botero is a VP at MetLife Insurance. Day-to-day, he develops insurance for retiring baby-boomers. But he is also taking on the enormous responsibility of ...
JUL 7, 2010 • Article
The Case for a Union: From the Fertile Crescent to the Silk Road
Authors Abtahi and Shoamanesh have a bold proposition: a multi-state, political-economic-security union that stretches from the Fertile Crescent to the Silk Road, connecting the Indian ...
JUL 2, 2010 • Podcast
Activism and Policy: Prospects for Change in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is one of the most closed societies in the world. Its media and education system are propaganda tools and all opposition is crushed. Meanwhile, ...