Case Study: Identify the following statement according to Kohlberg’s stages of moral development.

In America a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctor
thought might save her. It was in 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 $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick
woman’s husband went to everyone he knew and barrow some money, but he could only provide half
of the price. So, he told the druggist that his wife is dying and asked him to sell the drug in a lower price
or let him pay later. But the druggist said, ‘no I discovered the drug and I’m going to make money out of
it’. So, the husband becomes desperate and broke into man’s store to steal the drug for his wife. Should
the husband have done that?

1. The husband was correct in stealing the drug because he was a good man for wanting to save
her and that his intentions were good that of saving the life of someone’s he loves.

Answer: Stage 3 - Mutual and Interpersonal Conformity

The statement seems to imply that the speaker approves the action of the husband to steal in
order to save his wife.

2. The husband should still for his wife because he might return the favor some day.

Answer: Stage 2 - Individual and Instrumental Exchange

The case in this statement is that there is a mutual benefit in terms of the exchange wherein his
wife will be saved, and in turn, the other can have a favor to ask from her in the future.

3. The wife’s life to live is a moral right that must be protected and that it is his husband’s duty to
save his wife.

Answer: Stage 5 - Social Contract and Individual Rights

The statement is supported by the vows and duties of marriage where both husband and wife
will do anything for each other.

4. The husband has a good motive of saving the life of his wife, however, the authority cannot
simply ignore wrong doings.

Answer: Stage 4 - Law and Order

The statement implies that authorities should act in accordance with the law.

5. The husband should not steal it for it is against the law and that it’s bad to steal. Since stealing
punished the wrong doers.

Answer: Stage 1 - Punishment and Obedience

The perspective in this case is to restrain oneself from doing such thing because punishment will
be the consequence.

6. Saving the life of the wife of the husband is the most important thing to do over any other
properties.

Answer: Stage 6 - Universal Ethical Principles

The statement seems to declare that saving your spouse is the most important thing to do no
matter what the cost is, as a general rule in this world.