Those Who Walked Away from Omelas Those Who Walked Away from Omelas is a short story written by Ursula Le Guin. In her story, Le Guin creates a model of utilitarian society in which the majority of its citizens are free from suffering; allowing them to become an expressive and artistic people. Le Guin's tireless quest to make the reader imagine a rich, happy, festive society expands and ultimately culminates in the introduction of the outlet for all the misfortunes avoided by Omelas. Le Guin then introduces a coming-of-age ritual in which the town's innocent teenagers are made aware of the byproduct of their happiness. She advances with a scenario in which most of these adolescents are extremely burdened at first, but later come up with a rationalization for the “wretch” situation. Le Guin imagined a possible contemporary utilitarian society with the aim of maximizing the well-being of the greatest number of people. In contrast, Kant would argue that using the child as a mere means is wrong and would argue that the child's living conditions are not universalizable. The citizens of Omelas must face this moral dilemma throughout their lives or instead choose to silently flee the city altogether. My central thesis is that Kant would give the child's life intrinsic value and advocate that the citizens of Omelas abandon their practices. In this essay I aim to examine the story of Omelas through two opposing filters. One perspective I will take in my essay is that of a student of Kantian ethics, so that I can use Kantian principles and ideas to critique Le Guin's work. The second position I will take is that of a Utilitarian. I will respond to the criticisms of each frame using the points raised by its opponent....... middle of paper...... the citizen undergoes his own moral awakening "alone", adopts the belief that the life of each individual has value. Their realization distances the citizen from Omelas and leads him towards a completely new ideology. Conclusion: Take back what you did in your article, highlight the important considerations that your analysis has opened up. Convey the importance of the issues you just addressed. Think briefly about whether you think Omelas is a suitable ideology. metaphor of our society or the contemporary world. If so, what moral implications does your position on Omelas have for the real world? Works Cited Midgley, Mary. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature. 5th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. 231-235. Press. Conference handout, Classical Utilitarianism, January 29, 2014, p. 3