The Heinz Moral And Lawrence Kohlberg's Heinz Dilemma

As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, law is a “system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties,” whereas character encompasses virtue, “something a person is at his or her core,” and morality, “that which a virtuous person does” (Oxford Dictionary, 2013; Carr, 2013, p. 3). Both laws and morals function as a way to regulate the behaviors of those in a society. Although they might seem very similar in the way they operate, laws dictate what individuals can or cannot do through the use of sanctions, whereas morality guides a person’s actions through his or her own values and beliefs. For instance, Lawrence Kohlberg’s Heinz Dilemma describes a situation where morality conflicts with the law; no compromises can be made and a decision must be reached that results in stealing a drug in order to save a life or abiding by legal standards and living with the consequences of that decision. Even though laws are used as a guideline for the advancement of society, morality should be the foundation of any decision. Should an individual …show more content…
From this theory’s point of view, the focus is on morality in relation to the whole story. In regards to the Heinz Dilemma, this theory takes into account how Heinz made an effort to pay for the drug by borrowing from those around him, which shows his compliance in being lawful. This theory also considers how the druggist regarded profit as more important than life, which not only reveals the true character of the druggist, but also supports the actions taken by Heinz to acquire the life-saving drug. Furthermore, Heinz’s actions are justified by the willingness he had to save his wife regardless of the consequences he may face. Narrative ethics would deem Heinz’s actions ethical due to the situation surrounding the crime that he