Name:
Date:___________________
The Stages of Moral Development
&
Huck Finn
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development and Huck Finn
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o
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Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
Psychologist name:
How many stages of moral development does his theory include:
What is moral reasoning:
Kohlberg analyzed the
rather than
.
The Heinz Dilemma
You are on a committee of highly respected psychoanalysts.
As a group your moral insight will help decide the fate of a controversial case.
Question:
The Heinz Dilemma:
Scenario 1
Heinz’s wife is near death; her only hope is a recently discovered drug. The drug
costs $20,000 to make, but the pharmacist who manufactures it sells it for $200,000.
Heinz was rejected by his medical insurance company so he went to everyone he
knew to borrow the money. After exhausting every legal means, he could only raise
$20,000. Heinz appealed to the pharmacist to take what he had. When he was
rejected again, he offered to pay installments. Still, the pharmacist refused. In
desperation, Heinz considers stealing the drug.
Should Heinz break into the doctor’s laboratory to steal the drug for his wife?
Why or why not?
The Heinz Dilemma:
Scenario 2
Heinz broke into the laboratory and stole the drug. The next day, the newspaper
reported the break-in and theft. Brown, a police officer and a good friend of Heinz
remembered seeing Heinz last evening and thought he was behaving suspiciously.
Later that night, he saw Heinz running away from the laboratory.
Should Brown report what he saw?
Why or why not?
The Heinz Dilemma:
Scenario 3
Officer Brown reported what he saw. Heinz was arrested and brought to court. If
convicted, he faces up to fifteen years in jail. Heinz was found guilty by a jury and
awaits the judge’s sentence.
Should the judge sentence Heinz to prison?
Why or why not?
Understanding the Six Stages of
Moral Development
Remember, what you think Heinz should do is not as important as how you justify
your thinking, or the form of your response. The stages we will discuss come from
how we think about moral problems. As we get into discussions and debates with
others, we find our views questioned and challenged and are therefore motivated to
come up with new, more comprehensive positions.
The Stages of Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg
STAGE 1: Obedience
Punishment-Obedience Orientation
Stage 1 Response
to The Heinz Dilemma
Avoiding Punishment
Heinz should not steal the drug because he might be caught and sent to jail.
STAGE 2: Self-Interest
Instrumental Relativist Orientation
Stage 2 Responses
to the Heinz Dilemma
Back Scratching or Fairness
It is right for Heinz to steal the drug because it can cure his wife. This will make him
happier, even if he must go to prison.
…or…
The pharmacist invested a lot of money and many years of his life to develop the
cure so it's not fair to him that Heinz stole the drug.
STAGE 3: Conformity
Good Boy-Nice Girl Orientation
Stage 3 Responses
to the Heinz Dilemma
Yes, Heinz should steal the drug. He probably will go to jail for a short time for
stealing but people will applaud him for saving a life.
Officer Brown should report that he saw Heinz behaving suspiciously and running
away from the laboratory because the police department would be pleased with his
service and loyalty.
Officer Brown should not report what he saw because he’s not the kind of guy who
would “rat” on a friend.
The judge should not sentence Heinz to jail for stealing the drug because he meant
well ... he only stole it to cure his wife and most of the jury agrees.
STAGE 4: Law and Order
*Kohlberg found that the majority of the population does not make moral
decisions beyond this level.
Stage 4 Responses
to the Heinz Dilemma
1) As her husband, Heinz has a duty to save his wife's life so he should steal the
drug. But it's wrong to steal, so Heinz should be prepared to accept the penalty for
breaking the law.
2) The judge should sentence Heinz to jail. Stealing is against the law! He should not
make any exceptions even though Heinz‘s wife is dying.
STAGE 5: Human Rights
Social Contract Orientation
Stage 5 Responses
to the Heinz Dilemma
Human Rights/Making Exceptions
Heinz should steal the drug because everyone has the right to life regardless of the
law against stealing. Should Heinz be caught and prosecuted for stealing then the
law needs to be reinterpreted because a person's life is at stake.
The pharmacist’s decision is despicable but his right to fair compensation (for his
discovery) must be maintained. Therefore, Heinz should not steal the drug. Even if
his wife is sick, it does not make his actions right.
STAGE 6: Universal Human Ethics
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
Stage 6 Responses
to the Heinz Dilemma
Heinz should steal the drug to save his wife because preserving human life is a
higher moral obligation than preserving property.
Heinz should not steal the medicine because others may need to drug just as badly,
and their lives are equally significant.
What stage do YOU fall in?
Moral Development Project
Small group activity
Huckleberry Finn
Instructions
1. In small groups select one of the following chapters:
15, 16, 26, 31, 33, 40, 42
1. Write down choices Huck makes in the chapter and select specific passages
that show these choices.
2. Explain what stage of moral development you think his choice falls under and
why.
3. You will present your findings to the class on Monday by
summarizing/performing specific passages that show moral development.
4. Then, ask high-level questions of your peers about their thoughts on Huck’s
moral development before offering your own opinions.
Moral Development and Huck Finn analysis should include:
- Chapter and Page #
- Summary of Huck’s Decision
- Stage of Moral Development
- Explanation of Stage