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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JAN 20, 2010 Podcast

Top Risks and Ethical Decisions 2010

What's next? Using Eurasia Group's Top Risks as a starting point for identifying the major global challenges in 2010, the panelists identify what they see on ...

CREDIT: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_harneis/4349639498/">Julien Harneis</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

JAN 19, 2010 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: Developing a Reconciliation Indicator

A composite indicator is needed to substantiate the impact of community-led reconciliation processes and to better target sustainable development aid in post-conflict zones.

JAN 8, 2010 Podcast

Top Risks and Ethical Decisions 2010

The Eurasia Group identified ten top global risks for business this year, which should be understood not just as political and economic, but also as ...

Taiwan Presidential Building<br>Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/letrainfalldown/3127713926/" target="_blank">letrainfalldown</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en" target="_blank">CC</a>)

DEC 22, 2009 Podcast

East Asian Security and Democracy: The Place of Taiwan

Taiwan has transformed itself into a prosperous, vibrant democracy, and recently tensions between Taiwan and China have lessened. As the balance of power between the ...

DEC 18, 2009 Podcast

The Cost of Climate Change

This short clip on ethics asks: Is climate change a common public burden, or should individuals make their own choices? Globally do modernized countries have ...

CREDIT: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aktivioslo/4174350023/">aktivioslo</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

DEC 17, 2009 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Ending War in Our Lifetimes?

President Obama will need to discard old foreign policy doctrines and steer with a more global moral compass to meet the vision of eradicating war ...

DEC 15, 2009 Podcast

On Compromise and Rotten Compromises

Compromise can be a political virtue, especially for the sake of peace. When is political compromise acceptable, and when is it fundamentally rotten? What if ...

DEC 11, 2009 Podcast

Am I My Brothers' Keeper?

This short video on ethics asks: Are we responsible for the well-being of children around the globe, millions of whom die every year from preventable ...

DEC 4, 2009 Podcast

Democracy and Waging War

In a difficult and protracted war democracies may accept a draw due to a lack of public support. If you were caught between bowing to ...

"Stethoscope" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitualis/137213564/" target=_blank">vitualis</a>, (CC)

DEC 4, 2009 Article

Rationing Healthcare? We're Already Doing It

The question today is not whether to start rationing healthcare. We are already rationing, based in large part on the ability to pay. The question ...