PSY201_Unit6_Assignment_CourtneyMcConathey
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Unit 6 Assignment: Moral development and the Heinz Dilemma
By: Courtney McConathey
PSY201, Post University
Professor Nadine Mcdonald
Due Date: 12-01-2023
When in a similar predicament to Heinz I will attempt to consider all the possible outcomes and
their ramifications while trying to think critically about the situation. Heinz would go to jail and
his wife will pass away if he is caught stealing the prescription drugs. On the other hand, if Heinz
is successful and does not get caught stealing the medication, he could save his wife’s life and he
is able to get away with stealing.
In the current situation his top priority is to save his wife's life,
so Heinz believed that stealing the medication would be worth the risk because he would be
saving the love of his life. Heinz had tried to follow the rules and borrow the money, but the drug
dealer was not much help for Heinz, He was in a desperate situation and did not have much of a
choice but to break the law and steal the medication.
If I were in Heinz situation, I would first think about negotiating with the drug dealer. I also
would have told him about the situation and what was going on with my loved one to see if there
was any way that he could reduce the price or even give me a discount on the medication. I also
would have tried to get a loan from my family or even my friends to buy the medication that my
loved one needs, If the dealer is not much help. Even if I do not find a solution to the problem, I
do not think I would consider stealing because I would not be able to be there for my loved ones
that are going through this tough situation.
I consider myself to be in the traditional stage of moral development in accordance with
Kohlberg’s theory (Mathes,2001). This is a result of my belief in upholding the law and
maintaining social order. I feel a little skeptical about stealing, even though I can understand why
Heinz decided to steal the medication because it was the only viable option for him to save his
wife's life. The consequences of my actions would not have occurred to me if I had been in the
preconvention stage of moral development. I would have taken the drug without thinking twice
to escape punishment or even jail time and to benefit from saving a loved one's life. Whatever
the law required of us, I would have taken the medication and put my loved one's life ahead of
any potential consequences. In the traditional stage of growth, I am thinking about the effects of
what I do and trying to find a compromise between two things. But, In the light of the pre-
conventional stage I would not have thought through the repercussions and would have
continued with my actions in accordance with my needs. In the post-conventional era, I would
have stolen the medication knowing fully well what the consequences were. People in the post-
conventional stage are genuinely concerned with morality and other people's rights
(Nainggolan&Naibaho,2022). I will steal the drug at this point because it is the right thing to do.
In this case, my solution to the problem would have been to steal the medication since the drug
dealer is overhanging Heinz for the prescription, which is against his wife's rights to life.
Though Kohlberg developed his theory of moral development through research conducted in
both Europe and the United States, there are a few criticisms of it, such as the claim that it is
Western Centric. As a result, the theory disregards what other cultures have to say. Furthermore,
this theory has been criticized for having a male-centric viewpoint. Since Kohlberg’s research
was done on men and boys, women and girls experiences are not considered in the theory.
Additionally, there is some opposition to cognitive demanding. Because it requires them to think
in the most critical and abstract ways, people find it difficult to reach the highest mentioned
moral of development. This theory is one of the most popular and extensively applied theories in
psychology and education despite criticism for the previously listed reasons.
References:
Mathes, E.W. (2001). An analysis of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development from an
evolutionary standpoint.40(8) of current psychology,3908-3921
Nainggolan, M.M., & Naibaho, L. (2002), Education characteristics and Kohlberg moral
development theory Integration. Science society of Japan, 31 (3), 203.
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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334191449_An_evolutionary_perspective_on_
Kohlberg's_theory_of_moral_development