Practicing Strategic Empathy and Navigating Competing Values

In a world experiencing a seismic shift in the values and principles that guide geopolitics, how can we practice strategic empathy without succumbing to moral relativism? Brian Wong, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Hong Kong, joins the "Values & Interests" podcast to discuss how we can challenge our own moral and political beliefs, the future of global justice, and the technological forces disrupting our very conception of what it means to be human. Be sure to subscribe to "Carnegie Council" wherever you stream your podcasts.  Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast Professor Wong's latest book is Moral Debt.

Gilles Michaud, UN under-secretary-general for safety and security, joins the "Values & Interests" podcast to examine the moral and political challenges facing UN personnel in some of the world's most difficult security environments. Drawing on a multi-decade career at the intersection of law enforcement and geopolitics, Michaud reflects on lessons learned, the future of the UN, and how anyone can cultivate moral and professional resilience in an increasingly unstable and dangerous world. Be sure to subscribe to "Carnegie Council" wherever you stream your podcasts. Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast

America's post–World War II calculus guiding the relationship between power and principle has shifted dramatically. The result is a moment in which U.S. leaders may no longer be asking a vital question at the intersection of ethics and international relations: power, but to what end?  In this conversation for the "Values & Interests" series, James Story, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, and Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discuss the new dynamic between U.S. power and principle. Be sure to subscribe to "Carnegie Council" wherever you stream your podcasts. Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast Stock media provided by four_track.

The adoption of AI agents is expanding rapidly, particularly within multilateral and diplomatic spaces. Such integration presents a myriad of new ethical questions and challenges for both the practitioners of today and next-gen leaders. In this "Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice" event, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, New York State's chief AI officer, leads a discussion on this pressing issue. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-ai-agents Stock media provided by four_track.

In a fracturing world awash with belligerent rhetoric, where are the real geopolitical pressure points and what forces are driving them? Aarathi Krishnan, CEO of Raksha Intelligence Futures, joins the "Values & Interests" podcast to pull back the curtain on the political, economic, and technological dynamics shaping this moment of uncertainty and transition in the global system. Be sure to subscribe to "Carnegie Council" wherever you stream your podcasts. Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast For additional analysis, you can access Raksha's latest report: https://www.rak-sha.com/geopolitical-fractures-report-2026 Stock media provided by four_track.

What is fueling the post-truth era in American politics, and why is it working? Professor Mathias Risse of the Harvard Kennedy School argues that "gaslighting"—"persuasion through systematic besmirching, belittling, and the inversion of shared norms"—has become a dominant rhetorical force in American politics. Embraced by leaders such as Donald Trump and JD Vance, this disingenuous approach erodes the very fabric of civic life and good-faith exchange—two essential pillars for a functioning democracy. In this episode, host Kevin Maloney and Professor Risse explore: How does gaslighting work? Why is it so effective? And what are the short- and long-term impacts on the United States?  Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast More on gaslighting from Professor Risse: https://carnegiecouncil.co/eia-gaslighting-risse Stock media provided by four_track.

In this "Ethical Article," Alex Woodson reviews Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning film "One Battle After Another." He discusses gender roles, white supremacy, and the motivations of revolutionaries. To read this article, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-on-film-one-battle

For decades, America couched its foreign policy not only in the language of interests, but in universal values such as freedom and human rights. But what happens when that moral framing of liberal values falls away? From the streets of Caracas to the skies over Tehran, U.S. power is no longer justified through a narrative of liberal internationalism or advanced via appeals—even performative ones—to institutions such as the UN. Instead, Trump 2.0 has embraced a more explicit "might makes right" approach that rejects universality and leans into civilizational conflict between the West and the rest. Matias Spektor, professor and dean at Fundação Getulio Vargas's (FGV) School of International Relations, joins the Values & Interests podcast to examine the consequences of this shift in American power—and how U.S. foreign policy is being interpreted across the Global South, where many have long pointed to a gap between U.S. principles and its practices on the world stage. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-spektor

Since the establishment of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, space has been understood to be a "global commons" in which no country has sovereignty. But today, with over 90 countries and dozens of private companies operating in space—with the backdrop of a challenging and dangerous geopolitical environment on Earth—can actors still be expected to proceed "for the benefit of all"? In this Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice convening, an expert panel grapples with ethical questions on governance, militarization, and emerging technology in space. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-space-matters

Since the establishment of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, space has been understood to be a "global commons" in which no country has sovereignty. But today, with over 90 countries and dozens of private companies operating in space—with the backdrop of a challenging and dangerous geopolitical environment on Earth—can actors still be expected to proceed "for the benefit of all"? In this Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice convening, an expert panel grapples with ethical questions on governance, militarization, and emerging technology in space. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-space-matters