Ethics

Our scholars are exploring how ethical principles inform healthcare, technology, law, and global development—ensuring research leads with integrity and serves the common good.

A woman with dark wavy hair speaks while wearing a light purple blazer and a pearl necklace. She sits in front of a white sign for the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good with the website ETHICS.ND.EDU visible on a green banner.

Ethics

Notre Dame's Ethics Initiative

We are living through a century of unprecedented technological, economic, and social change.

A sunset behind the silhouettes of the Golden Dome and Basilica of the sacred heart

Article

Are we social media's puppets?

Peacebuilder Lisa Schirch believes better tech platforms can bolster democracy.

Silhouetted hands control a wooden puppet with strings. The background is sharply divided, blue on the left and red on the right, with the puppet centered on the color line, illuminated by both hues.

Ethics

Watching a train wreck

ND expert promotes balance of moderation and engagement in technology ethics

Computer screen with the definition of the word 'ethics' displayed.
  4. Two people sit at a wooden table between bookshelves, conversing near a bright window.

    Article

    Fighting to defend human rights

    Law professor advocates for dignity and justice, and for her students to do the same.

  6. Black Man in pinstripe suit and gold bow tie against a blue background.

    Article

    Fighting for religious liberty

    Notre Dame Law School stands ready to advocate and defend religious freedom for all people.

  7. Rome call for AI ethics

    News

    Notre Dame to sign Rome Call for AI Ethics, host Global University Summit

    The University of Notre Dame will formally sign the Rome Call for AI Ethics on Thursday (Oct. 27), together with the University of Navarra in Spain, Catholic University of Croatia, SWPS University in Poland, Schiller International University in Spain, Chuo University in Japan, University of Johannesburg and University of Florida....

Discover and engage
  1. Smiling man with gray hair wearing a navy blazer, light blue dress shirt, and blue striped tie with orange accents, seated in a conference room with artwork and a monitor visible in the blurred background.

    Article

    A dignity movement

    2026 Laetare Medalist Timothy Shriver

  2. Smiling older man with short gray hair wearing a gray blazer and light blue shirt, set against a deep blue background overlaid with colorful financial candlestick chart graphics in teal, pink, and red.

    Podcast

    How do you measure success?

    Mendoza professor Joe Holt joins Jenna Liberto to talk purpose-driven goals, meaningful work, and redefining success.

  3. Students and three priests in white vestments gather for a night mass around a lit snow chapel and altar, snow-covered Sorin Hall in background.

    Photo Essay

    Between winter and spring

    The month in photos, February 2026

  4. Side-by-side black and white portraits. On the left, a man with wavy hair and a patterned blazer is shown in a grainy halftone style. On the right, Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., in a clerical collar, looks thoughtfully to the left.

    Article

    The press vs. the power

    Observer founder Robert Sam Anson had a contentious yet strong relationship with ND President Father Hesburgh.

  5. A woman with short dark hair smiles slightly while looking off-camera. She wears a brown, fleece-lined winter jacket. In the background, snow rests on dried plants in front of a tan brick wall.

    Podcast

    Cold plunges and unicorns

    Anthropologist Cara Ocobock reveals what extreme cold reveals about our bodies and human resilience, and why hunting a “unicorn” is harder than it looks.

  6. A snow-covered parking lot at the University of Notre Dame. Dozens of cars are buried under thick mounds of white snow, with one yellow Jeep featuring an ND logo on the spare tire cover visible amidst the winter landscape.

    Photo Essay

    Plunging into winter

    The month in photos, January 2026

  7. A wooden mannequin is manipulated like a marionette by two large, silhouetted hands from above. The background is divided vertically down the center into solid blue and red sections, symbolizing themes of control and political polarization.

    Article

    Are we social media's puppets?

    Peacebuilder Lisa Schirch believes better tech platforms can bolster democracy.

  8. Aerial view of the University of Notre Dame campus covered in snow at sunset. The Golden Dome and Basilica of the Sacred Heart spire stand against a vibrant orange sky above snow-dusted rooftops and a central quad with intersecting walkways.

    Article

    Sustainers of hope: How Notre Dame pursued breakthroughs for a world in need in 2025

    The year in review.

  9. A bright lightning bolt flashes down behind the dark spire of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the illuminated Golden Dome of Notre Dame's Main Building under a grey, stormy sky.

    Photo Essay

    25 images of 2025

    From the changing built environment to the changing seasons, every one of the 365 days of 2025 looked different.