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
MAR 13, 2026 • Video
Character and Leadership: A Conversation with Lt. General (ret.) Mark Hertling
FEB 20, 2026 • Podcast
Keeping it Real(ism), with Assoc. Professor Paul Poast
With realism having a political moment, Paul Poast discusses the intellectual roots of the theory and how it's being applied in U.S. foreign policy.
DEC 11, 2025 • Video
Re-examining our Capacity for Just Peace
Watch this discussion featuring distinguished experts reflecting on the state of war in 2025 and the obstacles to achieving just peace.
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
MAY 1, 2018 • Podcast
The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from Twentieth-Century Statesmanship, with Bruce Jentleson
What are the qualities and conditions that enable people to become successful peacemakers? At a time when peace seems elusive and conflict endemic, Bruce Jentleson ...
MAY 1, 2018 • Podcast
The Living Legacy of WWI: Chemical Weapons from the Great War to Syria, with Zach Dorfman
"What you stopped seeing after World War I was great power conflict involving chemical weapons, and what you started seeing was asymmetric conflicts or regional ...
APR 24, 2018 • Podcast
The Living Legacy of WWI: Jane Addams & Her Cosmopolitan Ethics, with Seiko Mimaki
"What distinguished Addams from other peace advocates was her strong emphasis on the crucial role of marginalized people, such as women, immigrants, and workers, in ...
APR 17, 2018 • Podcast
The Living Legacy of WWI: The Politics & Medicine of Treating Post-Traumatic Stress, with Tanisha Fazal
Although it has been written about for centuries, post-traumatic stress was not officially recognized as a medical condition until the 1980s. However World War I "...
APR 3, 2018 • Podcast
The Dangers of a Digital Democracy, with Rana Foroohar
The revelations about the misuse of Facebook data have started a pushback against the top five big tech companies: Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google. ...
APR 3, 2018 • Article
How to Deal With Xi's China? Engage, but Be Wary
"With the recent moves aimed at consolidating power within the presidency of Xi Jinping, a new era may be beginning in terms of how China ...
APR 3, 2018 • Podcast
The Living Legacy of WWI: Hidden Photographic Narratives, with Katherine Akey
Katherine Akey is researching "gueules cassées," soldiers who suffered facially disfiguring injuries on WWI battlefields, focusing on those who were treated at the American ...
MAR 12, 2018 • Article
Maintaining Power by Breaking up Society: Eritrea Under Isaias Afwerki
Isaias Afwerki has been president of Eritrea since 1993. How has he stayed in power so long, although he is highly unpopular across Eritrea, even in ...
MAR 7, 2018 • Podcast
Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations, with Amy Chua
"The United States today is starting to display destructive political dynamics much more typically associated with developing countries: ethno-nationalist movements, the erosion of trust in ...
MAR 5, 2018 • Podcast
Necessary Evil: How to Fix Finance by Saving Human Rights, with David Kinley
Rich and poor, we're all dependent on the global financial system and it can be a force for good, says human rights law professor David ...