A Moral Dilemma

In preparation for writing our big argumentative research papers (which will happen in early March), we'll spend some time during the next few weeks debating some controversial issues.

To start, we're going to just do a little activity to gauge our moral compasses, since many of the issues we tackle will involve moral responses. A person's morals are what guide them when they make decisions about what is right and what is wrong, and it would be very easy if we lived in a world where everything was clear cut, black and white, right or wrong, yes or no, good or bad. But, as we all know, there are shades of gray, and there can be a little bit of good in something bad, and a little bit of bad in something good. It's not always as easy as we want it to be.

There's a famous situation that a famous psychologist used to figure out how far along children had progressed in their moral development. In other words, they way in which you respond to this situation will tell me how sophisticated your sense of "right" and "wrong" is. It's called "The Heinz Dilemma," because the main character's name is Heinz.

Here's the basic situation:

The Heinz Dilemma

There was once a man named Heinz. He had a wife who was extremely sick, with a terrible disease that was going to kill her. Her Doctor explained that there was an anecdote, and that the anecdote was the only thing that could possibly save her. The only problem was that the anecdote was very expensive, and Heinz and his wife did not have the money. Heinz went to the Pharmacist and explained the situation, hoping that he would be able to perhaps work a deal with the man to get the anecdote now to save his wife, with the promise of paying later when he had the money. The Pharmacist however, could not help Heinz. He said that his hands were tied, that there was no way he could give Heinz the anecdote without being paid for it. Later that night, Heinz broke into the pharmacy to steal the anecdote. His wife was saved. The police found Heinz's fingerprints, and Heinz admitted to what he had done.

Ok, with that little scenario in mind, your job this week is to answer the following question. The thing is, you HAVE to give reasons for whatever you say.

QUESTION: Should Heinz be arrested for what he did?

Note:
I've noticed in the last few weeks that you guys have started commenting more than once a week, and you've been writing back and forth to each other. This is perfect, because this is what I intended all along. It was my master plan. As usual, most of you beat me to it and started doing it before I had to make you. Of course, your assignment is still just the one post, and you'll get credit after that one. But, please feel free to engage in a dialogue with your classmates, and comment back and forth. Let's just keep it civil, especially since we are about to be entering discussions of some very touchy topics. There is a right and a wrong way to disagree with someone. The right way looks like this, "I've thought carefully about what you've said, but I disagree with you because..." The wrong way looks something like this, "You stupid idiot! How could you say that!" Remember, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, and even if it isn't the same as yours, you still have to respect where they stand. That's a big part of growing up (Trust me. I have to bite my tongue almost daily.). You can disagree; just be kind. Name calling and disrespect are childish things that people do when they can't come up with an intelligent response, and they will not be tolerated. Just keep that in mind.