1. Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) A genetic epistemologist (one who studies how people learn and believes that our coming to know something is also linked to our being biological creatures)

2. Moral development How do people learn right from wrong? According to Kohlberg, people grow in moral development in terms of what they already know People look at TRUTH and GOODNESS through different stages

3. The Heinz Dilemma

4. 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 $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 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 only get together about $ 1,000 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 Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.

5. Kohlberg’s question Is Heinz morally correct if he steals to care for his wife? Kohlberg was not interested in whether people answered “yes” or “no.” He was interested in people’s reasoning behind their answers.

6. Pre-conventional moral development (ages 0 to 12) Stage one (obedience): “I don’t break rules because I might be punished. I’m good because I’m afraid not to be good.” “Heinz was wrong because it’s wrong to steal.” “Heinz was right because he asked first, and it wasn’t big.”

7. Pre-conventional moral development (ages 0 to 12) Stage two (self-interest): “It’s okay if there’s a chance of not getting caught.” “Heinz was right because the druggist was unwilling to make a fair deal.” “Heinz’s wife might return the favor some day.”

8. Conventional moral development (adolescence and early adulthood) Stage three (conformity): “I’m good because I’m conforming to what society thinks is ‘good.’” “Heinz was right in stealing the drug because he wanted to save his wife.” “The druggist was wrong to be greedy.” Attitude would be expressed by the community.

9. Conventional moral development (adolescence and early adulthood) Stage four (law and order): “My parents, religion, or other authority figure/guiding force in my life says that something is bad.” “While Heinz’s motives are good, I can’t condone the theft.” “If we all started breaking laws if we felt we had a good reason, there would be chaos.”

10. Post-conventional moral development Stage five (human rights): “I choose to do good for the betterment or advancement of humanity.” “It is a husband’s duty to save the life of his wife.” “Life is more important than property.” These people are trying to figure out what society SHOULD be like. At one point, Kohlberg stopped scoring people above stage five.

11. Post-conventional moral development Stage six (universal human ethics): “If I do this, how does this affect humanity as a whole?” This is a clearer and broader conception of universal principles (which include justice as well as individual rights) Some might rationalize civil disobedience using this stage. Kohlberg said that most people don’t reach this last level. In fact, he believed it was dangerous for people to reach this level.