Evaluate:

APPLICATION OF KOHLBERG’S THEORY IN MORAL DILEMMAS

Heinz Dilemma
In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that
the doctors’ thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same
town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was
charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $400 for the radium and
charged $4,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to
everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get
together about $2,000, which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was
dying, and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said, "No, I
discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from if." So, having tried every legal
means, Heinz gets desperate and considers breaking into the man's store to steal the drug
for his wife.

1. Is it actually right or wrong for him to steal the drug? Why is it right or wrong?
It is right to steal the drug in that situation because it is not wrong. It is right
because he only did what would be good for his wife. To save his wife, Heinz needs
to steal the drug because it is the only way to save his wife life. He must cherish his
wife's life and health more than the possibility of being caught and imprisoned. I
don't understand how the action may be wrong. Saving someone's life is a good
thing, if they want to live and if it spares them future suffering.

2. Does Heinz have a duty or obligation to steal the drug? Why or why not?

I don’t think Heinz have a duty or obligation to steal the drug. Because Heinz need to
save his wife’s condition in any way he can. The doctor has a duty to supply life-saving
medications so that everyone who needs them can get them. If anyone has a duty or
obligation in this situation, it is the pharmacist (he is, after all, a druggist). Whatever
Heinz chooses to do is a matter of personal risk assessment and moral assessment; it
has nothing to do with obligations or duties.

3. If Heinz doesn't love his wife, should he steal the drug for her? Does it make a
difference in what Heinz should do whether or not he loves his wife? Why or why not?

4. Is it important for people to do everything they can to save another's life? Why or
why not?
 Yes, it is important for people to do everything they can to save another’s life.
Because his wife will die if he doesn’t. It is his moral obligation to save her life if he can.
Everyone should try to do everything in their power to save the lives of others because it
is our moral duty to uphold moral principles. However, in some circumstances, such as
life or death situations, it may not be possible to do everything in our power to save the
lives of others.
5. In general, should people try to do everything they can to obey the law? Why or why
not?
I don’t think people try to do everything they can to obey the law because ang
ginawa ni Heinz ay yung makakabuti para sa kanyang asawa na kahit alam niyang mali
ay nagsteal pa rin siya ng gamot dahil yun lang ang paraan para gumaling ang asawa
niya. Gustuhin man niyang bilhin ito ay hindi sapat ang pera na kaniyang hininging
tulong.
6. Lastly, identify what stage of moral development your answer may be categorized.