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Analysis Of The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

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Ursula Le Guin’s short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, doubles as a challenging thought experiment. It is also a great story to compare moral theories to and what they would do in the situation of the story. In this story, Guin describes the utopian city of Omelas and defines all of the wonderful features that are obtained. The author states that “Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale” (Guin 2). Everyone in this city is happy and content beyond belief. Guin also states that “happiness is based on a just discrimination of what is necessary, what is neither necessary nor destructive, and what is destructive” (Guin 2). However, this happiness would not be possible without the sacrifice of one innocent child; this child …show more content…
I would never be fully happy when I knew someone else is suffering for my happiness. As soon as I saw the innocent child sitting in its own excrement on the stool, I would immediately have to do something about it. I would stop and think about the citizens that are living their fantasy; however, this child is innocent and does not deserve the cruel treatment. My feelings toward the torture of the child obviously is negative; therefore, like Kant, I believe the moral thing to do is to help the helpless …show more content…
In our country, young men and women put their lives on the live for the safety and freedoms of our country. These soldiers protect our country and basic rights for our countries happiness. The brave men and women stand behind guns and get shot at for the happiness of millions. They are true heroes to our country. These stories are different in many ways; however, they both include someone risking everything, or being tortured all for the hope and happiness of their community. The short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, by Ursula Le Guin is used as an illustrative thought experiment. This difficult mind twisting story shows readers whether they fall more in the lines with Kant or Bentham. Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics are completely opposite of each other. Utilitarianism believes in consequences while Kantian ethics believes in duty and relativism. With this thought experiment, I fall more on the side of Immanuel Kant because I would not be able to watch an innocent child suffer for my happiness. This situation is either one for all, or all for

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