"In Europe a woman was near death from cancer. One drug might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2000, ten times what the drug cost him to make. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about 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." The husband got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife. Should the husband have done that? Why?" [Kohlberg, 1969, p. 376]
The "Heinz" dilemma was created by American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987), known for his theory of stages of moral development.
What do you think about Heinz's actions? Items to consider: spousal relationships and obligations, property rights
2 comments:
In criminal law (at least in the U.S.), the government would charge the husband with larceny (stealing). And the husband would raise a defense called "the necessity defense." In brief, he would argue that he committed the crime in order to avoid a greater harm -- namely, his wife's death. In theory, the defense would lose. In the U.S., the necessity defense is not a good defense to economic crimes. If I were the husband, however, I would probably do the same thing. And I would make sure to request a jury trial. No matter what the law says, a sympathetic jury might still acquit. ... As for the morality of what the husband did, I express no opinion for now. What do *you* think?
I would do it, too...doesn't it fall under the "in sickness and in health" part of the matrimonial vows? I think the "right" answer here is one that is not necessarily dictated by the law.
Something else to consider is whether the punishment would be the same if the patient were a wife vs. a pet. If someone stole medicine to save his dog's life, would that be treated the same way as a spouse?
Also, you've never had a Heinz dilemma...you have the ketchup on standby!
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