From Carol Gilligan's perspective, which emphasizes relationships, a valid moral response to the Heinz dilemma would be for Heinz not to steal the medicine. The reasoning behind this choice is that if he were arrested and jailed, he would be separated from his wife. This outcome would damage their interpersonal connection and leave her to potentially die alone, which is seen as a negative moral outcome in a framework that values connectedness.

Gilligan's Perspective on the Heinz Dilemma

Carol Gilligan challenged Kohlberg's theory by highlighting its methodological bias, noting that the research was conducted exclusively with upper-class White men and boys. She proposed that women are not morally deficient but instead reason differently, prioritizing the importance of staying connected and maintaining interpersonal relationships over abstract principles.

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Carol Gilligan is a psychologist who initially worked as a research assistant for Lawrence Kohlberg. She became a prominent critic of his theory of moral development, arguing against its perceived gender bias, and subsequently developed her own influential theories on the subject, as detailed in her book 'In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development'.

Carol Gilligan

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

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