Those Who Walked Away from OmelasThose Who Walked Away from Omelas is a short story written by Ursula Le Guin. In his story, Le Guin creates a model of utilitarian society in which the majority of its citizens are devoid of suffering; allowing them to become an expressive and artistic population. Le Guin's relentless quest to make the reader imagine a society that is rich, happy, and abundant in festivals takes off and finally culminates with the introduction of the outlet for all of Omelas' avoided misfortunes. Le Guin then introduces a coming-of-age ritual in which innocent teenagers in the town become aware of the consequences of their happiness. She moves forward with a scenario in which most of these teenagers are at first extremely overwhelmed, but then find justification for the "miserable" situation. Le Guin imagined a possible contemporary utilitarian society with the aim of maximizing the well-being of as many people as possible. On the contrary, Kant would argue that using the child as a mere means is an error and that the conditions of the child's life cannot be universalized. The citizens of Omelas must face this moral dilemma all their lives or choose to silently escape the city. My central thesis is that Kant would give the child's life an inherent value and advocate that the citizens of Omelas abandon their practices. In this essay, my goal is to examine Omelas' story 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 each executive's criticisms using the points made by his opponent....... middle of paper ...... the citizen undergoes his own moral awakening "alone", he adopts the belief that the life of every individual has value. Their realization distances the citizen from Omelas and orients him towards a completely new ideology. Conclusion: Go back to what you did in your article, highlight the important considerations that your analysis opened up. Convey the importance of the questions you have just discussed. Think briefly about whether you think Omelas is a suitable solution. metaphor for our society or for the contemporary world. If so, what moral implications does your own position on Omelas have for the real world? Works Cited Midgley, Mary. “Those who stray from Omelas.” The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature. 5th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. 231-235. Printed. Conference paper, Classical Utilitarianism, January 29, 2014, p.. 3