Moral Development

 A Moral Dilemma – Case Study

A man is sitting at home worrying about the fact that his daughter needs a major surgery in order to continue living, but he does not have the money to pay for it. He has asked family and friends to help with the cost of the surgery, but he only was able to raise about a quarter of what the surgery costs. He then remembers that he has power of attorney (i.e., control over someone elses finances/legal issues) for his out-of-touch-with-reality, but otherwise very healthy, 85-year-old father. The man could, without anyone knowing, use his fathers money to pay for the surgery. However, this would leave his father with only one year of living expenses remaining. In the end, the man decides to take his fathers money for his daughters surgery.

In 2-3 paragraphs, respond to the following:

• Should the man have done that? Why or why not?
• What would Kohlberg say about your response? What “stage” of moral development can be applied to your response in this situation? (Note: we respond to situations on all different levels, even as adults.  How you respond to one situation is not an indicator of your overall moral development.)
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