Kohlberg Dilemmas

Form A
Dilemma III
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 $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $ 1,000 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 it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug-for his wife. 1. Should Heinz steal the drug? 1a. Why or why not? Heinz should not steal the drug, as committing crimes in the name of loved ones does not excuse them. He also has no idea what the druggists situation is.

2. Is it actually right or wrong for him to steal the drug? 2a. Why is it right or wrong? It is wrong for him to steal the drug, as he is forcefully taking someone elses property and infringing on that someones ri ghts.

3. Does Heinz have a duty or obligation to steal the drug? 3a. Why or why not? Heinz does not have an obligation to steal the drug. He has an obligation to care for his wife, but that obligation does not translate into doing whatever it takes to save her life.

4. 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? 4a. Why or why not? Whether or not he loves his wife, Heinz should not steal the drug. His emotional attachments should play no role in determining whether an action is morally right or wrong.

5. Suppose the person dying is not his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for the stranger? 5a. Why or why not? Heinz should not steal the drug for the stranger, as theft is still morally wrong and a crime.

6. Suppose it's a pet animal he loves. Should Heinz steal to save the pet animal? 6a. Why or why not? Heinz should not steal to save his pet animal, as theft is still morally wrong and a crime, and if he should not steal for a human, he should definitely not steal for an animal.

7. Is it important for people to do everything they can to save another's life? 7a. Why or why not? No, it is not, as in their attempts to do so, they can damage the lives of themselves or of other, equally valuable people.

8. It is against the law for Heinz to steal. Does that make it morally wrong? 8a. Why or why not? No, it does not make it morally wrong, just legally, as everyone has their own perception of morality.

9. In general, should people try to do everything they can to obey the law? 9a. Why or why not? 9b. How does this apply to what Heinz should do? People should try to do everything they can to obey the law, as it ensures that society will function more successfully. This applies to what Heinz should do as he should strive to keep the law and not steal the drug.

10. In thinking back over the dilemma, what would you say is the most responsible thing for Heinz to do? 10a. Why? I think the most responsible thing for Heinz to do is to continue to consult doctors to treat his wife, as resorting to crime is not a good decision, especially for a drug that might not even work.

Dilemma II
Judy was a twelve-year-old girl. Her mother promised her that she could go to a special rock concert coming to their town if she saved up from baby-sitting and lunch money to buy a ticket to the concert. She managed to save up the fifteen dollars the ticket cost plus another five dollars. But then her mother changed her mind and told Judy that she had to spend the money on new clothes for school. Judy was disappointed and decided to go to the concert anyway. She bought a ticket and told her mother that she had only been able to save five dollars. That Saturday she went to the performance and told her mother that she was spending the day with a friend. A week passed without her mother finding out. Judy then told her older sister, Louise, that she had gone to the performance and had lied to her mother about it. Louise wonders whether to tell their mother what Judy did. 1. Should Louise, the older sister, tell their mother that Judy lied about the money or should she keep quiet? 1a. Why? Louise should not tell their mother that Judy lied about the money, as she does not have a right to make moral decisions on behalf of her sister. Instead, Judy should be given the chance to reconcile with her mother of her own accord.

2. In wondering whether to tell, Louise thinks of the fact that Judy is her sister. Should that make a difference in Louise's decision? 2a. Why or why not? No, this should not make a difference in Louises decision, a s the fact that an individual is a family member should not influence the moral implications of her decision.

3. Does telling have anything to do with being a good daughter? 3a. Why or why not? Telling, for the most part, does not have anything to do with being a good daughter. A daughters relationship with her mothe r should be a personal one, in this case, only between Judy and her mother, and Louise should not interfere, as that may damage many more relationships.

4. Is the fact that Judy earned the money herself important in this situation? 4a. Why or why not? The fact that Judy earned the money herself is not important in this situation, as although the money is hers, she still lives in the household of her parents and the usage of her financial resources should be under their guidance.

5. The mother promised Judy she could go to the concert if she earned the money. Is the fact that the mother promised the most important thing in the situation? 5a. Why or why not? I think the fact that the mothers promise is the most important thing in the situation. Her promise provided incentive for J udy and established a belief that the mother would uphold her end of the deal. That trust was broken, but I still feel that Judy was not justified in lying to her mother to attend a concert she may have been entitled to. 6. Why in general should a promise be kept? To foster trust and dependability amongst individuals.

7. Is it important to keep a promise to someone you don't know well and probably won't see again? 7a. Why or why not? It is important, as a promise should not be made lightly and if indeed one will never see the individual again, it is important to establish trust in the short lived connection.

8. What do you think is the most important thing a mother should be concerned about in her relationship to her daughter? 8a. Why is that the most important thing? I think the most important thing a mother should be concerned about in her relationship to her daughter is being empathetic and understanding to her child. 9. In general, what should be the authority of a mother over her daughter? 9a. Why? In general, I think the authority of a mother over her daughter should be absolute as long as the child is well taken care of. By living under the care of a mother, a daughter should be obligated to fulfill her demands. 10. What do you think is the most important thing a daughter should be concerned about in her relationship to her mother? 10a. Why is that the most important thing? I think the most important thing a daughter should be concerned about in her relationship to her mother is making sure her mother understands her and can trust her. This way, the mother can fully comprehend why the daughter does the things she does, and the daughter can begin to become independent. 11. In thinking back over the dilemma, what would you say is the most responsible thing for Louise to do in this situation? 11a. Why? I think Louise should strongly encourage Judy to go tell her mother what happened and why she did it. She should, however, not infringe on Judys moral decision making rights.