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
JUN 25, 2014 • Article
The Participation Gap
"Inequality doesn't result only from differences in income or wealth (the focus of French economist Thomas Piketty). It also has a political dimension, fueled by ...
JUN 18, 2014 • Article
Cataclysm: David Stevenson on World War I as Political Tragedy
David Stevenson discusses the military and political decisions on both sides that led to World War I; the Eastern, Balkan, and Italian Fronts, which are ...
JUN 12, 2014 • Podcast
A Conversation with Law Professor and Columnist Rosa Brooks on Obama's Foreign Policy
With an insider's perspective, Rosa Brooks candidly discusses U.S. foreign policy, from Kosovo to Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine, along with her views on Barack ...
JUN 6, 2014 • Article
The Intergenerational and International Justice Dilemmas of Multinational Nuclear Waste Repositories
Despite Fukushima, the use of nuclear power is increasing worldwide. What about the growing mountain of nuclear waste? It has already been accumulating for over 50 ...
MAY 28, 2014 • Article
Sarajevo is a Symbol: Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Assassination
In this interview with the Turkish news organization Andalou Agency, Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal explains the reasons behind the Council's upcoming visit to Sarajevo ...
MAY 21, 2014 • Article
"The Past is Another Country:" The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act
The 1964 Civil Rights Act was a triumph of one vision--one history--of one America over another. Clay Risen's "The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle ...
MAY 14, 2014 • Podcast
Moral Imagination
David Bromwich draws upon thinkers such as Burke, Lincoln, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. to show that it is moral imagination which allows us ...
MAY 14, 2014 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Islamophobia Is Not Just a Western Problem
The success of nationalists in India's election shows how easily an intricate social fabric can be rent for political purposes.
MAY 13, 2014 • Podcast
The Rise of the New Far Right in Europe and Implications for European Parliament Elections
This panel gives an excellent overview of the complexities of the rise of right-wing populism across Europe, focusing in particular on France, the UK, and ...
MAY 6, 2014 • Podcast
The Invisible Casualties Of America's Longest Wars
Did you know that one in three U.S. women veterans has been sexually assaulted? In 2013, even with about 85 percent of the assaults going unreported, ...