What Are The Four Stages Of The Heinz's Dilemma

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Lawrence Kohlberg, a moral theorist, believed that there are three levels of moral development that consist of two stages each, leaving a total of six stages. According to the notes presented by Professor Squires, the six stages are heteronomous morality; individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange; mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships, and interpersonal conformity; social contract or utility and individual rights; and universal ethical principles. By interviewing individuals about the Heinz Dilemma and analyzing their answers, a person can determine which moral stage he/she is in. The Heinz Dilemma is a scenario created to test an individual’s morality by the answers they give to the following situation. The Dilemma is, …show more content…

After explaining the situation, Tyler believed that Heinz should steal the drug because he thought the poor man would be sad if his wife had died and it all could have been fixed with the drug. I asked to Tyler to explain why the poor man would want his wife to live. He replied with “well they are married they have to love each other!”. Tyler’s response show that he is in stage 2: individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange. As we discussed in class, Squires told us that in stage 2, an individual begins to think about both sides to determine what is morally right. Tyler knew that stealing was bad, but it was for a good cause and the poor man did try to pay, but the druggist rejected him. The poor man had good intentions in the beginning, but he was left no choice. Tyler thought that the poor man needed to steal the drug that way he still had someone to love, and this represents the instrumental purpose. There is also exchange is this by the poor man saving her life, he gets her love in return. Ultimately this shows that Tyler is in stage 2, but Tyler is not stuck in this stage for a person progresses through stages as a person solves conflict and gains new life …show more content…

I asked my dad to answer the same scenario. He is 56 years old. His answer to this dilemma was that the poor man should steal the drug because even though it is wrong to steal, life is more valuable than the drug. He explained that if he were in this situation with my mom, he would steal the drug to save her life. My dad fits into stage 5 of Kohlberg’s stages. Within this stage, an individual is an advocate for the values and rights that go beyond the laws created by man. My dad believed that someone’s life is more important than a law. Therefore, he thought that the poor man should steal the drug to save his