Jean Piaget 1896-1980

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MORALITY: Some Cases

The Swiss philosopher-psychologist Jean Piaget, and after him the American Lawrence Kohlberg, tried to determine not just what answers people would give to various moral dilemmas, but what kind of reasoning or motivation lay behind their answers.  So they asked people to say "yes" or "no" to certain questions and then explain why they answered as they did.  Here are two sample questions from Piaget, plus questions closer to contemporary experience.  Piaget asked the first question of Swiss children decades ago, so the story will sound odd to you.  Try to imagine what a child might say in response to it.  The second question is an updated version of one that Piaget asked.  After each of these questions scribble down a quick answer, yes or no; then give a quick justification for your answer, i.e., answer "why or why not."  It is the justifications that count the most here.

1. Heinz' wife was very ill.  A pharmacist in Heinz's town had worked for years at his own expense to created a medicine that would cure that illness.  He wanted $5000 for it.  Heinz did not have much money.  He raised what he could and borrowed more, but it added up to only $1000.  the pharmacist would not sell the medicine for that little amount.  So at night Heinz broke into the pharmacy and stole the medicine to give to his wife to save her life.  Should Heinz have stolen the medicine?  Why or why not?
 
2. Heinz gave the medicine to his wife and it helped somewhat but not enough.  She got much sicker and was in very great pain.  Various doctors agreed that she had no chance of recovery and would die within a couple months.  Knowing this, she asked her doctor to give her enough painkillers to kill her.  She said she wanted to use them to commit suicide.  She asked the doctor three times over the course of a month.  Should the doctor give her the painkillers.  Why or why not?
 
3. You and another U.D. student, a friend of yours, are shopping at a department store.  Your friend tries on a $400 leather coat and discovers that it does not have the magnetic clip on it that alerts the security guards if a person tries to walk out the door with it.  So your friend strolls out of the store with the coat on, without paying for it.  You try your best to talk your friend into returning it.  No results.  Should you report your friend to the store or the police?  Why or why not?

4. Your brother confesses to you that he has just murdered someone because a voice in his head had been telling him to.  You insist on psychological help.  He refuses.  Do you turn him in to the police?  Why or why not?