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The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Utilitarianism

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The idea of utilitarianism is key to how the city works. Utilitarianism is the belief that the best action is the one that brings the most happiness to the most people. In Omelas, this belief is tested because the city's happiness and success depend on the suffering of one child. This story raises important questions about whether it is right to sacrifice one person for the happiness of many, making readers think about the real cost of a perfect society and personal morality. In Ursula K. Le Guin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," the idea of utilitarianism is shown through the way the city of Omelas works. Utilitarianism is the belief that the best action is the one that brings the most happiness to the most people. In Omelas, …show more content…

This situation represents utilitarianism, where the happiness of many people is seen as more important than the pain of one person. However, this raises serious questions about whether it is right to make one person suffer for the sake of everyone else, showing a big problem with utilitarianism when it is put into practice. In Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," personal morality is shown through the contrast between the city's happiness and the suffering of a single child. The people of Omelas face a moral choice: to accept their joy, which depends on the child's misery, or to leave the city. Those who stay believe that the happiness of many is worth the pain of one. However, those who walk away reject this idea, believing it is wrong to base their happiness on someone else's suffering. By leaving, they show their commitment to their own moral values, highlighting the conflict between what benefits society and what is ethically right for an individual. In conclusion, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a strong critique of utilitarianism by showing the moral problems and human costs of this

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