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 15, 2001 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Universalism and Jewish Values
Though they lacked any state or territory of their own, Jews nevertheless created a distinctive political philosophy, says Michael Walzer.
APR 19, 2001 • Article
Willing to Kill But Not to Die?
Is American policy drifting toward an approach that could be labeled "willing to kill but not to die"? If we consider ourselves a moral nation, ...
FEB 15, 2001 • Article
Moral Dilemmas of U.S. Policy Toward Iraq
When it comes to issues such as imposing sanctions, pursuing assassination, overthrowing regimes, and waging war, the moral questions may be the most important ones.
JAN 6, 2001 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 5 (Winter 2001): Human Rights in Times of Conflict: Humanitarian Intervention: Articles: The Choices for the International Human Rights Movement
Roth remarks that, for the pacifist, "the debate over humanitarian intervention is easy. War is the ultimate evil, to be opposed in any circumstance. For ...
JAN 1, 2001 • Article
Sovereign Virtues: Aziz Al-Azmeh and Michael Ignatieff on the Failures of Globalization
This article was posted in "Carnegie Reporter" on May 25. The following excerpt is posted with permission from Carnegie Corporation of New York. Michael Ignatieff was ...
OCT 6, 2000 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 4 (Fall 2000): Who Can Protect Workers' Rights? The Workplace Codes of Conduct Debates: Articles: A Template for Ground-Up Workable Codes
As Northern labor, religious, and nongovernmental organizations press apparel retailers and manufacturers for stronger codes of conduct and transparent verification systems, in Latin America ...
AUG 6, 2000 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 3 (Summer 2000): Silence Breaking: The Women's Dimension of the Human Rights Box: Articles: Women's Rights in the Context of Insurgency: A Report from Northeast India
India’s Northeast is under a near-constant state of emergency, with tensions frequently erupting between locals and the Indian security forces. L. Anna Pinto examines ...
AUG 6, 2000 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 3 (Summer 2000): Silence Breaking: The Women's Dimension of the Human Rights Box: Articles: Fifteen Years after the World Charter for Prostitutes' Rights
The fight for sex workers’ rights is a difficult one because few NGOs and human rights organizations understand the nature of sex work or are ...
AUG 6, 2000 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 3 (Summer 2000): Silence Breaking: The Women's Dimension of the Human Rights Box: Articles: Ending Female Genital Mutilation without Human Rights: Two Approaches-Egypt
FGM can be dismantled by persistent questioning. An appeal informed by an understanding of human rights, but which draws upon local cultural and religious notions ...
APR 6, 2000 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 2 (Spring 2000): Litigating Human Rights: Promise v. Perils: Articles: Waiting for Justice in the Marcos Litigation
The jury issued a guilty verdict against Ferdinand Marcos for the human rights crimes of forced disappearance, summary execution, and torture of some 10,000 ...