Question

Read the scenario, reflect and write down your reactions on the dilemma:

A woman was on her deathbed. 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 produce. He paid 200fortheradiumandcharged2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Stans, 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 laboratory to steal the drug for his wife. Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?

Fill up your reaction following the format below:

Level	Stage	Stans should steal the drug, because	Stans should not steal the drug, because
Pre-conventional	Obedience
	Self-interest
Conventional	Conformity
	Law-and-order
Post-conventional	Social contract orientation
	Universal human ethics

Answer 1

Stealing one's drug is not acceptable, but when we look at Heinz situation ,he is only doing it to save his wife from death. There is no any other intentions behind that. He is not doing it for his publicity, or money. Trying to save his wife cannot be judged infront or moral and ethical court.

-Preconventional stage shows obedience ( obey rules to avoid punishment- heinz should not steal beacuse it will lead to punishment.

-self interest- ( focus on needs of oneself) - make him to steal drug to save his wife

-conventional law and order- individual's morality is tied up to personal and social relationship. - stealing drug will affect this relationship

-post conventional stage- individual goes beyond perspective of his or her society.- he steals drug because his situation made him do that .

- universal human ethics- according to universal human ethics, ethical principles are based on shared human values. Activity of drug developer is against human ethics.