The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

Over the course of a career that spanned almost sixty years, Ursula K. Le Guin helped to establish speculative fiction as a serious form of literature. Although much of her work can be classified as fantasy or science fiction, Le Guin used these genres to explore issues related to gender, environmentalism, psychology, and—as "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" demonstrates—ethics.

That said, this particular story is heavy on ideas, even for Le Guin. It is frequently taught in philosophy classes, and it is not hard to see why: "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" doesn't have much in the way of plot, instead functioning as an extended explorationof a society based on utilitarian principles. Broadly speaking, utilitarianism is a school of ethics that maintains that the morally "correct" action is the one that produces the greatest happiness or good to the greatest number of people. Although different philosophers adapt this basic idea in various ways, one common criticism of many strands of utilitarianism is the one Le Guin raises in this story: that it potentially justifies horrible suffering and abuse if the net result is positive.

Relatedly, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" also asks us to think about the relationship between happiness and pain. Le Guin's inclusion of the neglected child is not just a statement about utilitarianism, but also about the nature of happiness. In the absence of the child's suffering, the townsfolk's pleasure would not only be practically impossible, but also psychologically impossible.Le Guin suggests that real, profound happiness depends on our awareness of pain, because it is this awareness that allows us to treat others with compassion, create art that is meaningful, and even (perhaps) work toward a better society. It is unclear how we could seek to minimize suffering if we had no concept of suffering to begin with.

In this way, the story also explores the limits of human imagination, and the implications of that for moral behavior. Because our understanding of happiness is so intertwined with our understanding of suffering, it may not be possible for us to envision a perfectly happy and just society. This is not necessarily a justification for inaction, however. The titular characters—the people who leave Omelas—may not be able to conceive of the place they are trying to reach, but their innate sense of right and wrong does function as a kind of compass guiding them on their way.