Heinz Dilemma
A woman was on her deathbed. 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 produce. 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 laboratory to steal the drug for his wife.
Answer the following questions in 100-200 words.
Q.1 Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife?
Heinz should have explored all possible options to gather the necessary funds before resorting to
stealing the drug. Although his wife's life was at stake, he could have tried harder to borrow money from
more people or sold something valuable to come up with the required amount. The act of stealing, while
motivated by desperation, undermines the ethical principle of respecting others' property rights. It is
essential to exhaust all lawful means before considering illegal actions, as there may be alternative
solutions available. Thus, breaking into the laboratory should not have been his first choice.
Q.2 Why or why not?
Heinz’s desperation does not justify theft, as it ultimately sets a dangerous precedent. Engaging in illegal
actions can lead to negative consequences, both for him and for society. Instead of stealing, he should
have made every effort to gather the required funds through legal means. Selling valuable possessions
or seeking loans from others could have been viable alternatives. If he still found himself without the
money after exhausting these options, he might then consider stealing. This approach maintains respect
for the law and others while still prioritizing his wife's life. Ultimately, exploring all possible avenues for
obtaining the drug is a more ethically sound course of action.
