Moral Dilemma

Okay, so we did this really neat lab today in Sociology at my college and I thought I'd share this with Fakku and see how everybody else feels.

"In Europe, a woman was near death from 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 ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $400 for the radium and charged $4,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get together about $2,000, which is 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, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So, having tried every legal means, Heinz gets desperate and considers breaking into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife."

Then the requirement was for us to answer the following questions, I'll show you what I put, but I also want to see what everyone else put.

1. Should Heinz steal the drug?
1a. Why or why not?

2. Is it actually right or wrong for him to steal the drug?
2a. Why is it right or wrong?

3. Does Heinz have a duty or obligation to steal the drug?
3a. Why or why not?

4. If Heinz doesn't love his wife, should he steal the drug for her? Does it make a difference in what Heinz should do whether or not he loves his wife?
4a. Why or why not?

5. Suppose the person dying is not his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for the stranger?
5a. Why or why not?

6. Suppose it's a pet animal he loves. Should Heinz steal to save the pet animal?
6a. Why or why not?

7. Is it important for people to do everything they can to save another's life?
7a. Why or why not?

8. It is against the law for Heinz to steal. Does that make it morally wrong?
8a. Why or why not?

9. In general, should people try to do everything they can to obey the law?
9a. Why or why not?

10. In thinking back over the dilemma, what would you say is the most responsible thing for Heinz to do?
10a. Why?

*bonus questions that sorta also flipped it over discussion*
What if his wife doesn't want to be cured?

What if he has children?

What if his wife is in her 80's?


~*~

My answers were (I'm not proud of all of them tbh)

1. Should Heinz steal the drug?
Yes.
1a. Why or why not?
I'd rather go to jail for a time period than let my significant other die. Even if it doesn't cure them, at least I know I tried everything possible.

2. Is it actually right or wrong for him to steal the drug?
Legally, it's wrong. Morally, I feel as though it's right.
2a. Why is it right or wrong?
It's breaking the law, but I feel as though sometimes the law is meant to be broken.

3. Does Heinz have a duty or obligation to steal the drug?
Yes.
3a. Why or why not?
His wife is dieing, in the vows they say till death do we part, to serve, protect, etc. If I loved my significant other I'd do my damnedest to keep them alive.

4. If Heinz doesn't love his wife, should he steal the drug for her? Does it make a difference in what Heinz should do whether or not he loves his wife?
No.
4a. I feel as though the vows have a big impact. I also feel as though if he didn't love her he wouldn't of tried every legal means possible to get the money.

5. Suppose the person dying is not his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for the stranger?
No.
5a. Strangers die everyday, strangers die every second - he can't commit his life to saving others by sacrificing his life.

6. Suppose it's a pet animal he loves. Should Heinz steal to save the pet animal?
No.
6a. Why or why not?
It's an animal - he shouldn't break the law just to save an animal when their lifespans are already so short.

7. Is it important for people to do everything they can to save another's life.
Yes.
7a. Why or why not?
It's how society molds us, I suppose. I think this includes the druggist - I think he should be held accountable if the wife dies. I don't think legally he should be able to do what he did just for his own greed. If people who are qualified to do CPR and can get in trouble if they don't act if the opportunity arises - I think he should be accountable too.

8. It is against the law for Heinz to steal. Does that make it morally wrong?
No.
8a. Why or why not?
Because, it's his wife.

9. In general should people try to do everything they can to obey the law?
Yes.
9a. Why or why not?
Because law creates order, balance, however situations arise all the time to complicate things - that is why we have juries.

10. In thinking back over the dilemma, what would you say is the most responsible thing for Heinz to do?
Contact the news, media, town hall - tell them what that druggist is doing. However, that stuff takes time - if his wife doesn't have time for those processes, which I would consider 'legal means of gathering money' then I would steal.

Why?
Because I'd rather be punished for something I believe in that's morally right.

Bonus questions:
What if his wife didn't want cured?
No, if he loved her, he'd respect her wishes.

What if he had children?
Don't care, if he managed to get $2000 from friends, family, etc - he obviously has a support group that can care for the children while he serves his time in jail.

What if she's in her 80's?
I'd assume if she was that old she'd mentally be prepared to die - If I were in his shoes, I'd rest peacefully knowing my significant other lived a long life.


~*~


Okay, it's a long post - But I really would like to see what you guys think and tally it up then. Feel free to discuss further if you want to as well. :)

I'd steal the drug, ain't letting my wife die when I know i can save her is like just next right to me. If the drug maker really wants the money, he can get the rest of it later, in monthly payments. Steal first, save wife, get trial in court, possibly get out early and pay for the drug u stole.

Doesnt sound so bad to me.

Let the druggist cry like a baby.

wow, that's some crazy ethics shit. why doesn't heinz just buy the druggist out with his ketchup fortune?

I knew somebody would mention that D;
It's just the name that was given, not the ketchup man ._.;

I answer all the question in my head before reading your responses. We're pretty much in the same boat except for the animal part. I would totally steal something for a pet.

When growing up, my dog was my only companion before my sister was born so they have a place in my heart. Lifespan of not, I just couldn't stand to watch them die.

I kind of guessed, I just wanted to make that joke. :P

There's not enough information provided for me to answer those questions with a simple 'yes' or 'no', and detailed multi-scenario answers would take me ages to write, so I'll sum it up.

The doc's pretty much your regular greedy scumbag. Don't say you didn't see that coming if you're greedy enough to even refuse deferred payment.

But what about his wife? If her character's (In the past.) on the same level as that doc, where does Heinz see what's right or wrong on that matter? Probably in his heart, in the feelings for his wife, which is basically the same as the doc's way of reasoning who finds his motives in his greed.

But I'd still say go for it, Heinz. I believe that not the thief, but rather the owner is the one to blame if he's allowing his precious work to be stolen in the first place. Which answers the questions 8. and 9., to which I'd like to add a comment: 'Lol.'

Question 5.: As said above, not enough information on Heinz's way of reasoning provided. I, for instance, would be willing to aid his survival if I'd judge said person as worth living - rather on his past characteristics than his present.

There is an evolutionary imparative to save the life of our mate at all costs, but it really depends on the sevarity of the illness, the likelyhood the drug will work, if you've already procreated, the age of the wife, etc, and only some of these are covered in the questions.
The only situation I could see as making it justifiable to steal the medicine in violation of law is if she is still young enough to procreate and doesn't have any children yet, and the medicine could save her life. But it's still a strech. If she is old, already has kids, or will probably die anyway, the costs outwiegh the benifits, and you should let her die.
And your pet's life isn't worth prison.

By the way, though, fuck that guy with the medicine for leting someone die because he wants a bigger profit.
What an asshat.

The first question can bring up another. What if Heinz steals the drug and uses it all on his wife before it is mass produced and there may be others who need it? It's not worth stealing for a beloved someone when others may be at risk. But let's say it is, then I would answer yes he should steal it, regardless of her age. And it shouldn't matter if he loves her or not, you just can't let someone you've known for the majority of your life die, regardless of feelings towards that person. And no Heinz shouldn't steal it for a stranger, there's obviously no emotional ties or endeavors for him to steal it in the first place.

If it's a pet, let it die, it's not worth going to prison over, sacrificing yourself for a pet, that's going overboard.
Yeah it's important to save a person's life to a degree, as long as it doesn't hurt others. Heinz went against the law, hence doing the wrong thing for a right reason. Heinz should contact the authorities for the druggist monopolizing instead of saving a human life. If his wife does not have much time, then he should steal, but as I brought up before, if it's mass produced go ahead and steal, if not, then don't risk the lives of others who may have the same type of cancer his wife has.

If his wife did not want to be cured, respect her wishes.
If he had children.. brings up a difficult choice. If he does steal and saves his wife's life, would his wife be upset that he did? Would his wife be upset that he saved her life and risking the children being taken away regardless of a support group? If not, he should still think about losing his kids due to being a criminal, and the emotional effects it would have on their father being in prison.

I'd assume that elderly people who are that age aren't afraid to die. Hence he should not go through the trouble and just accept that they lived a long fruitful life instead of dying in prison.