Power of ethics

Courtney Johnson 

12/15

Prof. Scanlan

ENG 1121

    The Power of Ethics

The story of “American Spy” by Laurel Wilkinson is a story crammed with different 

codes of ethics, specifically the following. Deontology ethics, utilitarian ethics, virtue ethics, 

global ethics, and feminist ethics. In this essay I will discuss how two major characters in the 

story Marie Mitchell and Ed Ross use Utilitarian ethics, feminist ethics, and deontological ethics 

throughout the story 

We’ll start with Ed Ross. Ross was a CIA agent, colleague of Rick Gold’s, and  a 

workmate of Marie’s. He is in this essay because of the possibility that he manipulated Marie 

into taking on the mission that was getting close to Thomas Sincara. Despite his manipulation 

being extreme, Ross takes the Utilitarian approach throughout the story . It judges an action in 

terms of consequences and outcomes. It seeks the greater good for everyone involved. Towards 

the beginning of the story, Ross comes to Marie with a mission that would ensure her a 

promotion, which was something she desperately needed. ”On the surface it looked like exactly 

the operation I’d been waiting for” pg. 75 ch. 8. Everybody would have benefited if Marie 

accepted the job at the moment. You see him use this approach again in chapter nine where he 

Invites Marie to a dinner with Phillip. She accepts, only on the condition that she gets to talk to 

Daniel Slater after the mission is completed. “I can’t make any promises, he said. But let’s say 

SQLR was successful. I could see him surfacing to congratulate you.” pg 89 ch 9. Throughout 

part one of the story, Ross uses a utilitarian approaching his interactions with Marie to convince 

her to accept the mission. Although the conditions change from just money to Marie wanting to 

talk to Daniel Slater afterwards, Ross still assures her that her demands will be met. Keep in 

mind, this is not making an argument that he is a good person, but instead is an example of how 

he uses a utilitarian approach to get  what he wants