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
MAY 13, 2008 • Article
Ethics on Film: Discussion of "Blood Diamond"
Set during Sierra Leone's civil war in 1999, "Blood Diamond" draws attention to the fact that the diamond trade has been used to fund conflicts.
MAR 12, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Waging Peace through Commerce
Prosperity has the potential to strengthen democracies and enhance security, but only in a global atmosphere of nonaggression.
FEB 29, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: Business Ethics Gone Without TRACE
As a neutral third party, TRACE works with commercial competitors to address the challenges they all face, delivering an antibribery message to corrupt officials.
FEB 26, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Global Strategies for Child Nutrition
So long as we treat ending child malnutrition only as a series of national problems, the effort is doomed to failure. There must be a ...
FEB 19, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Trouble with Tuna
Today's globalization may be causing more stress to our planet than we realize, and the food industry is just one example. When it comes to ...
JAN 22, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: The Debt of Dictators
The Debt of Dictators by filmmaker Erling Borgen is a good introduction to the central questions of Third World debt: Whose debt is it, and ...
JAN 16, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: Forming a Donor Monitor NGO
Money stuffed in envelopes. Gifts of cars, computers, and overseas junkets. It sounds like the criticism typically leveled at corrupt MNCs, but it also occurs ...
DEC 7, 2007 • Podcast
Branded! How the Certification Revolution is Transforming Global Corporations
Michael Conroy discusses how certification systems, market campaigns, and champions within corporations are driving a major shift in global corporate accountability on social and environmental ...
NOV 30, 2007 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: A Kite Runner Approach to Understanding Corruption
All sins are a variation of theft, according to the father character in Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner. Corruption is theft of public trust ...
NOV 29, 2007 • Podcast
Why Cooperate? The Incentive to Supply Global Public Goods
Deflecting asteroids, eradicating polio, coordinating international time, mitigating climate change--Scott Barrett explains the different incentives and actors needed to supply these global public goods, where ...