Category: Coffeehouse #4

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

An Ethical Spy

In this essay, I will explore Lauren Wilkonsin’s novel “American Spy.” More specifically, this essay will take a close look at the code of ethics within the characters Marie Mitchell as well as Thomas Sinkara. While there are five codes of ethics (deontology ethics, virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, feminist ethics, and global ethics), the ones that drives the decisions made by these characters precisely are Utalitarian Ethics, Feminist ethics, as well as Virtue ethics. In order to prove this, I will first break down feminist ethics that is presented in Marie Mitchell’s moral decisions. Next, I will examine the utilitarian ethics that Thomas Sinkara so strongly exhibits, which represents what he stood for, as well as what led to his downfall. Finally, upon the breakdown of these characters I will explain how Sinkara’s drive and influence on people steered Marie to virtue ethic.

Marie Mitchell embodies feminist ethics through her refusal to conform to societal expectations and gender roles. She challenges the patriarchal norms of her workplace and society, refusing to be limited by her gender. She is determined to succeed in her career and refusing to be held back by the biases and discrimination against women. Marie Mitchell originally began working for the FBI in 1983 up until 1987, and was discriminated against because she was in fact a woman; a black woman at that. Her boss Ric Gold was a clear sexist as she mentions “he’d interrupted during a briefing to ask me to run to the kitchen and get him a cup of coffee. Everyone in the room laughed”(20). Her boss would often belittle her and turn her down from high-profile jobs and the particular reasoning behind this circumstance was simply her being an African-American woman. Ric Gold showed a clear lack of respect for Marie and this lack of respect publicly displayed to her caused her colleagues to belittle her as well as “I was deliberately excluded from operational meetings and told it was because men were better at that kind of planning. . . agents didn’t feel safe with me backing them up”(20). . .

  Thomas Sinkara presents a utilitarian ethical framework as he believes that the ultimate goal is to serve the greater good and promote the interests of the nation and its citizens. For this exact reason, the people of Burkina Faso had a deep love for Sinkara. The love for him expanded so far to the point Asalfo (the cafe owner) fixed his radio just so he could listen to Sinkara’s speech. “When he finished his speech, Asalfo applauded the radio. . .  impossible to ignore the effect of sitting with people who saw in Thomas a capacity for a brighter future. . . and felt  myself turning towards him and his revolution” (183). The effect that Sinkara had on his people trickled down onto Marie as well as she grew to be fond of him. Sinkara was a well respected man in West Africa who “. . .strove to make the West African nation economically self-sufficient, promoting local industry and food security, redistributing land from landlords to peasants. He also promoted gender equality, proscribing polygamy and female circumcision. And he spoke out passionately against South African apartheid, and Western meddling in Africa” (Aidi, 1). . .

Marie Mitchell embodies virtue ethics through her dedication to doing what is right, even in difficult and morally ambiguous situations. Throughout the novel, Marie is faced with difficult choices and moral dilemmas. She always acts in accordance with her values and beliefs,  even when it means going against the orders of her superiors or the expectations of society. . .

Overall, the book “American Spy” presents ethical dilemmas that are common in the world of espionage and highlights the personal and moral struggles that come with working in this field. Marie was faced with ethical dilemmas throughout her story as she struggled to be guided by her moral compass. The needle of her moral compass eventually guided her onto the right path as she gave into it instead of rebelling against it. Everything that we do in life is done by a set of codes of ethics, so we should examine our own personal ethics before making a decision.

In Laura Wilkinson’s novel American Spy, the characters of Marie and Slater exhibit a complex and multifaceted approach to ethics. Throughout the novel, the two characters are forced to confront difficult moral dilemmas and must navigate a complex web of competing moral principles.

One of the most prominent ethical frameworks that is evident in Marie and Slater’s decision-making is deontology, the belief that certain actions are inherently right or wrong, regardless of their consequences. For example, when Marie is faced with the decision of whether to betray her country by passing classified information to the Haitian government, she struggles with the knowledge that her actions will have far-reaching consequences, but ultimately decides to act on principle. As she reflects, “I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do what I knew was right” (Wilkinson, p. 189).

In contrast to Marie’s adherence to deontological principles, Slater’s approach to ethics is more utilitarian, focusing on the maximization of overall happiness and well-being. This is evident in his willingness to manipulate and deceive others in order to achieve his goals. For example, when he is tasked with recruiting Marie as a spy, he uses emotional manipulation and lies in order to gain her trust and convince her to join the mission. While his actions may be seen as unethical by some, Slater justifies them by arguing that they are necessary for the greater good.

Another key ethical framework that is evident in American Spy is virtue ethics, which emphasizes the importance of developing and maintaining character traits that are considered morally good. Both Marie and Slater exhibit a strong commitment to certain virtues, such as loyalty and courage. For Marie, this is evident in her willingness to risk her life and career in order to protect the people of Haiti from oppressive regimes. For Slater, it is evident in his determination to see the mission through to completion, even in the face of great personal danger.

Feminist ethics also play a role in the novel, as Marie grapples with the ways in which her gender impacts her ability to navigate the male-dominated world of espionage. Throughout the novel, Marie is forced to confront the ways in which her gender makes her vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination, and she must find ways to assert her agency and autonomy in a field that is traditionally dominated by men.

Finally, global ethics are also at play in American Spy, as the novel explores the complex and interconnected nature of international politics. As Marie and Slater carry out their mission, they must consider the impacts of their actions not only on their own country, but also on the global community. In the end, their decisions have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the boundaries of their own nation.

Overall, American Spy presents a nuanced and complex portrayal of ethics, showing how individuals must navigate a web of competing moral principles in order to make difficult decisions. Through the experiences of Marie and Slater, the novel illustrates the ways in which ethical frameworks such as deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, feminist ethics, and global ethics can all play a role in shaping an individual’s moral compass.

The Deceiving Spy

In this essay, i will examine scenarios in the novel American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson where ethical selection was applied. More specifically i will dive into the lives of Marie…. and Daniel slater, as well as the cause and effect of the type of ethics they used. Disregarding morals, the ethical decisions these characters have made did not necessarily correlate to their personalities rather to the environmental situations they faced, furthermore we will look at the scenes in which virtue ethics caused Marie to shoot Slater and the utilitarianism ethic that caused Slater to insinuate Marie to kill Thomas Sanakara via syringe.
 

Marie is a dark skin woman who joined the FBI in a misogynistic era. Following her suspension from the FBI she was approached by Cia agent Ed Ross who persuaded her into joining his task force in Burkina Faso to take down Thomas Sankara and any possible communist takeover, in exchange she wanted a conversation with Daniel Slater who was a past lover of her beloved deceased sister Helene. … to be continued

Yerime Dieye

Prof. Sean Scanlan

English 1121

12/13/2022

“Pursuit of Righteousness”

In the novel American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson, Marie Mitchell & Thomas Sankara are complex and fascinating characters who are guided by a set of ethics that shape their motivations and actions. In Professor Scanlan’s “Five Types of Ethics” it states “deontology falls within the domain of rules that guide and assess our choices of what we ought to do.”(Scanlan, P.1) In this essay, I will focus on the deontology ethics that drive Marie Mitchell and Thomas Sankara actions throughout the novel and their commitment to justice. Furthermore, on how Marie Mitchell and Thomas Sankara represent two sides of the same moral compass, and their respective deontology ethics offer a unique perspective on the value of morality in a world full of manipulation and deception. 

Marie’s deontological ethics are based on a strict devotion to the law. She is a by-the-book agent who believes in following the rules and regulations that govern her job. She is willing to take risks and do whatever is necessary to accomplish her mission, but she never deviates from her moral code. Marie’s sense of deontological ethics are demonstrated when she refuses to take part in certain operations. She demonstrates a strong sense of morality by refusing to use her power to manipulate people into doing what she wants. In the novel, Marie says, “I didn’t want to participate in spying on citizens who weren’t doing anything illegal.” (Wilkinson, 2019, p.46). This statement demonstrates Marie’s ethical stance and her belief that her moral obligations and duties to others should take precedence over her loyalty to her country. Not only that, but she is driven by a strong sense of justice and believes in doing the right thing, no matter what the cost. Marie is also faced with the difficult decision of whether to use violence. Though she is a trained FBI agent, Marie is hesitant to use violence to achieve her mission. Her sense of deontology is seen in her reluctance to use violence as a means of achieving her goals. She is aware of her moral responsibility to act in a way that is consistent with her own values and beliefs. In the novel, Marie says, “It’s too much risk. And there are soldiers living there. I don’t want to hurt anyone innocent” (Wilkinson, 2019, p.232). This statement demonstrates Marie’s understanding of her moral responsibility and her commitment to acting in a way that she can be proud of.

Marie is presented with a difficult moral dilemma. She is asked to use her skills as an FBI agent to help overthrow the government of a foreign country. Throughout the novel, Marie expresses moral hesitation and a sense of guilt for the choices she makes. She questions the morality of her actions and the potential consequences her mission could have on the citizens of Burkina Faso. She is aware of her responsibility to her country, yet she is also aware that her actions could result in the death or imprisonment of innocent people. Throughout the novel, Marie is faced with the difficult decision of whether to follow the orders of her country and help to overthrow the government of Burkina Faso. Despite the difficult choices she must make, Marie’s sense of deontology is evident in her actions. She demonstrates a strong sense of morality and a commitment to acting in a way that is consistent with her own values and beliefs. In the end, Marie is able to reconcile her sense of duty to her country with her own moral obligations and duties to others, including her children. 

Thomas Sankara, the leader of the revolutionary government of Burkina Faso in the 1980s. The novel paints a vivid picture of Sankara’s deontology ethics, which are based on a strong commitment to the principles of justice, fairness, and morality. This was based on the fact that “Sankara has long been a hero to youth across the African continent. The vision that he advanced of internationalism and pan-African humanism resonated profoundly.”(Aidi, 2015) Sankara refused to accept foreign aid, and instead encouraged the people of Burkina Faso to rely on their own resources to develop the country. Sankara also sought to reduce government expenditures, reduce corruption, and promote the equitable distribution of wealth. Sankara’s deontology ethics were based on the idea that people have a moral obligation to act in a way that benefits the greater good. On August 04, Sankara and his party overthrew Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, in the aftermath of the coup “Sankara initially focused on applying the philosophy of the revolution to transforming the national army, improving policies concerning women, and economic development.”(Figueiredo, 2008) Sankara believed that individuals should set aside their own interests in the sake of the collective. This is demonstrated by his attempts to reduce poverty and inequality in Burkina Faso, which included the redistribution of land, the introduction of a minimum wage, and the promotion of equality between men and women.

The deontology ethics of Marie Mitchell and Thomas Sankara offer an interesting contrast in American Spy. On the one hand, Marie is a by-the-book agent who believes in following the rules and regulations at all costs. On the other, Thomas is a revolutionary who is willing to break the law and use violence if it serves the greater good. Both characters demonstrate the power of morality in a world full of manipulation and deceit. By examining their deontology ethics, American Spy, provides a unique perspective on the value of morality in a complex and ever-changing world.

Coup d’ethics 

In this essay, I will discuss the ethical implications of Thomas Sankara and Marie Mitchell’s characters in American Spy, a novel written by Lauren Wilkinson.

I will use the text to illustrate the ethics used that best describe the reasoning behind highlighted decisions made by the characters previously stated. 

The former  Marxist president and American spy in the novel seem to be following deontological ethics because of their work obligations— Marie is working with the U.S government as a spy and Thomas Sankara is the federal leader of his country. The text has also led me to believe that Marie also follows utilitarianism because although her sense of duty requires her to take down the man that she shares love sentiments for. 

 As stated in the handout,utilitarianism is described “by rejecting moral codes or systems that consist of commands or taboos that are based on customs, traditions, or orders given by leaders or supernatural beings to follow the action that produces the most good of others as well as one’s own good.” Examples of Marie neglecting duties or adhering to them for personal gain is her accepting the assignment to find out more information about her sister’s death. She also doesn’t want to kill Thomas Sankara because of her own formed belief in him. 

Michael Osei-Antwi

Professor Scanlan 

English

December 13 2022

American Spy 

 In this novel “American Spy” by Lauren Wilkinson  is about an intelligent woman, Marie Mitchell, who was assigned to a task force to get information about Thomas Sankara. Throughout the book, characters must consistently make decisions that will affect their own, as well as other peoples’ lives. Ethics is a major factor in how these decisions are made. The five types of ethics are: deontology, virtue, utilitarian, feminist, and global. In this essay, I will analyze how Marie,Ross ,Sankara and Slater used these different types of ethics and use research to support these analyses. Next, I will explain what motivated Marie to take the task assignment. Lastly, I will talk about what ethics Marie and Ross started with and ended with.

I.               Feminist ethics

a. Marie does not want to seduce

                                               i. “I think we could get you closer to him than we could get a man,” Ross pressed.

                                             ii. “They expected me to sleep with him. For intel” (pg 87)

1. For the right price, they expected Marie to agree even if doing so would disagree with her own personal moral instinct and values.

b. Sankara is in support of women’s rights movement

                                               i. “Sankara argued that a society that oppressed women couldn’t be a successful one, and committed himself to women’s rights” (pg 87)

II.             Deontological ethics

a. Ed discusses personal sacrifices he has made on the job to fulfill his duty

                                               i. “That’s a choice I made. A personal sacrifice. It was worth it, because I swore an oath of service to all Americans.” (pg 86)

III.           Utilitarian ethics

a. Ross developing the assignment to hire Marie to kill and cut the operation of Sankara

                                               i. “It’s a fact that Communist governments inhibit the economic growth of a country. End of story.” (pg 88)

                                             ii. Gold suspends Marie

IV.           Virtue ethics

a. Marie accepts the assignment to achieve her own goal and finding out more information about her sister’s death

                                               i. “I want to talk to Daniel Slater.” I had questions about Helene that only he could answer. (pg 88)

b. Marie ignores her assignment and does not kill Sankara

V.             Global ethics

a. Sankara has a global and large impact in his political initiatives

                                               i. “Sankara had helped save the lives of thousands of children.” (pg 86)

b. Slater talks about why he joined the CIA in the first place, to make a positive impact on humanity through tactics used in war, in this case the Cold War (pg 173)

                                               i. “humanity had been brought to the brink of nuclear war. But Slater believed that had he been able to insert himself into the early planning stages of something that became an international conflict, that conflict would have been avoided.”

Ethical American Spy 

In this essay, I will explore the ethical decisions made in Lauren Wilkinsons novel American Spy. The ethics of Marie Mitchell and Ed Ross seem to follow normative ethics, more specifically deontology ethics. A Short Introduction to Five Types of Ethics states deontology ethics “falls within the domain of rules that guide and assess our choices of what we ought to do [by a] system that involves a clear set of rules […] often referred to as a rule-based ethic.” Whereas, utilitarians believe  “the purpose of morality is to make life better by increasing the amount of good things (such as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decreasing the amount of bad things (such as pain and unhappiness), [by rejecting] moral codes or systems that consist of commands or taboos that are based on customs, traditions, or orders given by leaders or supernatural beings [to follow the]  action that produces the most good […] of others as well as one’s own good , also stated in the handout. While both characters seem to be deontologists due to their positions in law enforcement, they are also strangely utilitarians. I think going further into the novel Mitchell seems to become changed and influenced into becoming more of a utilitarian. First I will explain why both Marie and Ross are expected to follow deontology ethics,  then I will discuss three scenes in the novel  in which both Mitchell and Ross are presented and act based on utilitarian ethics, starting with the dinner scene to the phone call and lastly the elephant scene. 

Marie and Ross are expected to follow deontology ethics because they both have important positions within law enforcement. Marie is working for the FBI as an intelligence officer and later on is drawn into what she believes is a CIA operation to infiltrate Thomas Sankara. Ed Ross is a CIA officer who approaches Marie with the offer to become a spy and work for him in Burkina Faso.  “Diversity & Inclusion at the CIA” introduces CIA workers as “officers on the front lines around the world, working tirelessly to ensure that our customers – the President and senior policymakers – have the intelligence they need to make informed national security decisions. In doing so, CIA officers are guided by a professional ethos that includes the core values of service, integrity, excellence, courage, teamwork, and stewardship.”

Muhammad Raihan
ENG 1121
Prof. Scanlan
12/11/22

 

Loyalty in Friendship

 

In the novel “American Spy” by Lauren Wilkinson I will examine the ethical decisions made by Marie Mitchell and Robbie Young. Marie is a mainly a Virtue and feminist ethicist while Robbie is more of a Utilitarian ethicist. When Marie was young, she felt disdain towards Robbie because of his perspective on life, however as an adult she realizes why she loves Robbie’s personality and tries to find it in others. In order to support this, first I will explore why Robbie was rebellious as a teenager and how Utilitarian ethics drove him to commit crimes. Next, I will compare Robbie and Marie with her overlapping ethics. Lastly, I will reveal how they both have matured and which ethics they now follow.

In order to understand why Robbie is a utilitarian, the environment and era he grew up in must be taken into account. Knowing that utilitarian ethicists do not like follow authority and will make decisions that they think are the most beneficial ones. It can be inferred that Robbie does not admire law enforcement but instead people who are utilitarian like him in the 1970s. One major role model of his in 1971 is the American social activist Abbie Hoffman who also wrote the book called “Steal This Book.” According to Wikipedia the book “focused on ways to fight against the government and against corporations in any way possible. The book is written in the form of a guide to the youth.” This book reflects the content that Robbie would look for and follow. The decisions he would make portray utilitarian ethics because in the novel Robbie steals cash from a pizza place and when Marie scolds him for it he says “‘You got to read Steal This Book. Then you’d understand…. Off the pigs. And welcome to the revolution, baby.’” (69) While it is true that the consequence of Robbie’s crimes would not yield a good result, he truly believes that him stealing is his freedom and revolution and it maximize his overall good because he gains something for free. Knowing that Robbie is a black teenager who is broke as a utilitarian he would think that taking what he needs through theft and also encouraging others like Marie would increase their overall happiness and relieve their pain or unhappiness.