Moral Thinking Test

You've probably seen this question before (I know I have).

In Europe, a woman was near death from a very bad disease, a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging 10 times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $ 200 for the radium and charged $ 2000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could get together only about $ 1000, which was half of what it cost. He tole the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said, "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steak the drug for his wife.

Was he right or wrong? (and more important) Why?

Hmmm...I know it's annoying when people ask questions like I'm about to ask, when it's one of these scenarios, but I wonder how much of the drug the guy stole? If he stole the *only* supply of the drug, then I would say that's not exactly right, but at the same time, I don't like the idea of anyone's loved one dying just so an already rich doctor can line his or her pockets. But if the drug was in abundance and the guy stole some of it, then he's not really that wrong at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that in this case, the very idea that the man is stealing is erroneous, because in order for something to be stolen, it has to be owned by someone else. And if the doctor doesn't outright own it, then (not to get all new-age-y, but here I go anyway) I would say it belongs to the whole of humanity, and that individual ownership is impossible if not completely immoral and unethical. But, the medical industry can be pretty coldhearted when it comes to money and costs of drugs.

Great dilemma...thanks for posting

And in case you're wondering, my final answer is this: The man did the right thing, and why? Because it is the nature of humans to first protect their own before being concerned about the rest of the people, and if forced to make a choice, I would do the same if my dying husband needed this drug.

By the way, is this a true story?

LOL, Gwen didn't we have this huge debate in our Spanish class last year—

When it comes to human life, I believe any jury would be rather sympathetic to any law breaking in this instance. Especially if the man took only what he needed and left the $ 1000 on the counter with an IOU amount of the remainder.

If he did that then he would only be charged with break and enter and not robbery which holds a higher sentence. He'd probably either be acquitted or be released on a good behaviour bond...and his wife would live...small price to pay for that.

Oh, and from a personal perspective, I would certainly do a John Q if my kids life was at stake and screw the consequences!

did we Morgan? I don't remember. I've seen the test in many places. pheonix-it's not a true story.

There are supposedly different types of reasoning-from teh lowest to highest level.

The first is concerned with rewards and punishments: going to jail or saving a life.

The second is about rules and laws: it's wrong to break the law or the law is being abused by the pharmacist.

The third is abstract thinking with people's rights at stake. He shouldn't have stolen because it is the other guys right to what he owns and the price he puts on it/stealing is against ones own ideologies or people have a right to live.

as for the ideas about a sympathetic jury or how much of the drug he stole, that's looking too far into the question. I personally would steal even if I was put in prison and such for 10 years in prison is much less penalty than loss of life.

" the problem with this remark is that society generally needs rational explanations, as well as proof positive of something in order to believe it. just simply stating this, could put me right up there with Galileo Galilei and the rest. "