Part 1: Case Study: Heinz Steals the Drug

Part 1: Case Study: Heinz Steals the Drug

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. Should the husband have done that? (Kohlberg, 1963, p. 19)

Respond to the following questions. You must explain the reasoning behind your “yes” or “no” answer.

1. Should the husband have broken into the man’s store to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?
2. Did Heinz have a right to steal the drug?
3. Was Heinz violating the druggist’s rights?
4. What sentence should the judge give him once he was caught?

Case Study

Part 2: Below is a list of possible arguments that belong to the six stages. Decide which stage each scenario belongs to and explain why.

Heinz should steal the medicine because his wife expects it; he wants to be a good husband. Or: Heinz should not steal the drug because stealing is bad and he is not a criminal; he tried to do everything he could without breaking the law, you cannot blame him.

Stage:

Explanation:

Heinz should steal the medicine, because saving a human life is a more fundamental value than the property rights of another person. Or: Heinz should not steal the medicine, because others may need the medicine just as badly, and their lives are equally significant.

Stage:

Explanation:

Heinz should not steal the medicine because the law prohibits stealing, making it illegal. Or: Heinz should steal the drug for his wife but also take the prescribed punishment for the crime as well as paying the druggist what he is owed. Criminals cannot just run around without regard for the law; actions have consequences.

Stage:

Explanation:

Heinz should steal the medicine because he will be much happier if he saves his wife, even if he will have to serve a prison sentence. Or: Heinz should not steal the medicine because prison is an awful place, and he would probably languish over a jail cell more than his wife’s death.

Stage:

Explanation:

Heinz should not steal the medicine because he will consequently be put in prison which will mean he is a bad person. Or: Heinz should steal the medicine because it is only worth $200 and not how much the druggist wanted for it; Heinz had even offered to pay for it and was not stealing anything else.

Stage:

Explanation:

Heinz should steal the medicine because everyone has a right to choose life, regardless of the law. Or: Heinz should not steal the medicine because the scientist has a right to fair compensation. Even if his wife is sick, it does not make his actions right.

Stage:

Explanation:

Part 3:Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development Visual Flow Chart Assignment and Rubric

Create a visual diagram/flow chart using text and images to present and explain the key components of Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. Your diagram must include the three distinct levels as well as the six stages of development. Use pictures, words, arrows, quotes, or any other symbols that help to convey Kohlberg’s theory. Your diagram should be done on an 8.5 x 11 piece of blank paper.