Ethics matter. This is not only the tag line for the Carnegie Council. It is also the proposition of my work. Many writers take up ethical issues. But few have the vantage point of the Carnegie Council – a place where leaders from around the world come to share ideas, reflect on their experiences, and engage in public conversation.

Posted here are lectures, articles and reviews reflecting my engagement with the Council’s activities. If there is a pattern, one might say it is opportunistic, seeking to add the ethical dimension to debates ongoing. One might also see a thread of realism. In my view, power and ethics are inseparable and are best considered together.

Two additional characteristics should be evident. The first is humility – the idea that no single person, institution or school of thought has a monopoly on truth. The second, closely related, is pluralism – that is, respect for differences while recognizing what is common in the human experience.

The spirit of this work is one of mutual learning. For me, ethics is a practical thing. Yes, there is something intellectually satisfying about reflecting on the good life. But ethical inquiry can be more than that. It can help us in specific ways to imagine a better future. Ethics in a global world requires open dialogue – across cultures, borders and professions. This web site is offered as a small step in this direction.