Kareem hears the Heinz dilemma and is asked if Heinz should steal the drug for his dying wife. Kareem replies, "No, he should not steal the drug because if he did he would be sent to jail." According to Kohlberg's theory, which type of moral reasoning is Kareem using?

Conventional reasoning (Loyalty to law and order)

Explanation:

Kohlberg did some studies on morality and proposed a theory on moral development.

Kohlberg defined three different levels of morality (and each level consists in 2 stages).

These levels are

Pre conventional Conventional Post conventional

In the preconventional level, the person's morality is externally controlled and therefore acts based on what the punishment will be (1st stage) or based on how good will it be for him/her to act in some way (2nd stage)

The conventional level stages also has to do with external controls but now the person thinks in function of ensure positive relationships and societal order. The third stage here depends on the approval of others. The fourth stage has to do with accepting rules because they preserve the society order and functioning.

The postconventional level stages are defined in more abstract principles or values. The 5th stage sees the world as a place with different values that must be respected. Finally the 6th stage is based in universal ethical abstract principles.

Heinz dilemma states that Heinz wife is dying and that there is a drug that can save her but it's very expensive and Heinz doesn't have the money to get it. Then the question of the dilemma is "Should Heinz steal the drug?"

In the example, Kareem says he shouldn't because he would be sent to jail, according to Kohlberg theory, we can see that Kareem is answering based on external factors, in particular with accepting rules because they preserve the society order and functioning (You should not steal because the rules say so),

Thus he is using a conventional moral reasoning, specifically in the fourth stage known as "Loyalty to law and order".