Preview

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Utilitarianism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
294 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Utilitarianism
“It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people which is the measure of right and wrong” (Borders). Jeremy Bentham, the man who spoke this infamous quote, ‘is the fellow who, in the 1700s, set out the philosophy of “utilitarianism”’ (Borders). The theory behind this quote, similar to others like it, is put into basic terms in The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas (Le Guin). What is utilitarianism, one may catechize. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy delineates utilitarianism as “generally held to be the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good” (Driver).
This same concept, albeit construed together with different word usage, has appeared in famous creative literature, such as Star Trek II: The

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that believes one should do what will promote the greatest utility for as many people as possible, that utility is often considered to be happiness or pleasure. There are different kinds of utilitarian views; hedonistic, preference, rule, and act to name a few, but they all have the same main objective. This theory does indeed seem good at first, but it is flawed. The case of the lonesome stranger challenges utilitarianism by bringing up issues of justice in different kinds of utilitarianism. The lonesome stranger is a persuasive argument to utilitarianism, showing problems pertaining to justice.…

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Omelas is a place that seems like an ideal place to live. The people who live in Omelas have the perfect life with no worries. The problem is you cannot achieve complete happiness without some sacrifices. Which the people of Omelas had make a sacrafice, they had to deal with the sacrifice of a small child being neglected to achieve their ultimate happiness. Some of the citizens did not agree with the way the child was being treated and chose to leave Omelas and not be a part of something that was so wrong. This raises the question “Is Omelas really the best place to be with ultimate happiness?” When you have to treat someone so poorly to achieve your happiness, this is not the way to live life.…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas is a very clear depiction of the principles of Utilitarianism through the little kid who is locked in the cellar. Utilitarianism says that is a solution that works the best for the greatest number of people. Everyone in Omelas is happy and live in a “perfect” world. Their joy is all resting on one kid who lives in the absolute worst living conditions by being locked in a cellar, not seeing the sun, and getting fed junk food. The whole society knows of this evil they have bestowed on the child but they come to realize that if they let this kid out that their happiness will be taken away so they come to terms with that in whatever way they can. Some are unable to come to terms with how they are treating the…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    I will first explicate on the theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory which states that that which is right is what brings the greatest amount of happiness to the greatest maximum number of people. The act that manages to fulfill this criteria is the act that is then morally right. As a result, whenever we consider what is a morally right action to do, we have to keep in mind that the action that would make it so that the accumulated level of happiness in the majority would be higher than the accumulated number of unhappiness in a majority. As well, utilitarianism is bias-free, in that the happiness levels of your close friends and family do not take priority over the happiness levels of the neighbors next door, or of people in countries that you have never visited and will never…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    We live in a world much like Omelas. Although we do not torture children, many people suffer so we can live as well as we do. Most chain stores mass-produce their products in factories overseas. These factories are mainly in China and other developing countries that do not have safety and minimum wage laws. Their workers are in dangerous conditions all day and usually get paid less than we would for an hour. However, because of how little the factory workers get paid, we are able to buy the products we want at the cheapest prices.…

    • 255 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Sheppard-Towner Act

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jeremy Bentham is primarily known today for his principle of utilitarianism, which assesses actions given their results. Bentham believes that an act is considered “just” if it produces the most joy and minimal pain for the best number of individuals who affected directly or indirectly by that action. On the other hand, Kant suggests that only duty and rules ought to administer our operations, as outcomes are outside our ability to control.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin concerns itself with the utopian society Omelas. The story begins with the festival of Summer where the town is described in all of it’s glory. From the beautiful streets, to the successful craftsmen, and the joyous people, Omelas seems to be perfect. What is not made immediately clear is the fact that the town’s perfection is contingent upon the misery of one child. The relationship is such that as along as the child is treated inhumanely, the citizens of Omelas will enjoy continued success and perfection. The town embodies the Utilitarian idea that the apparent suffering of one child is made less when compared to the good that is bestowed upon the rest of Omelas.…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Focusing on act utilitarianism, this direct form works in maxims, expanding the contrast between right and wrong. “An act is right and just in its consequences for human happiness are at least good as any alternative available to the agent” (9). Thus, it is your duty to do the optimal act in a situation because anything other than the best act is a wrong act. Furthermore, Mills also comments that it is considered a “righteous” act if the consequences are just as good or better than any other action. Staying within the ideas of right or wrong, or when decisions seem to commonly be referred to as “black or white,” there is also an ideal of proportions to consider. Remember that the act is right is if brings happiness to the most people, but one is incapable of pleasing every person in every situation. Thus, Mills refers to the “Proportionality Doctrine” to tell what makes an act right or wrong. The Proportionality Doctrine states that acts are right if they promote happiness, or…

    • 1511 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Act Utilitarianism

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The theory of Utilitarianism was first developed by Jeremy Bentham who was a philosopher of the 18th century. Bentham developed this theory to create a modern and rational approach to morality which would suit the changing society.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Le Guin, Ursula. “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas.” Perspectives on Argument. Ed. Nancy V. Wood and James Miller. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012, 435-40. Print.…

    • 1276 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    be garbage men, farmers, factory workers, custodians, etc., because if we do not have those people to do it, then who will do it? In a sense this class division is what makes the world go round.…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) developed his ethical system of utilitarianism around the idea of pleasure. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) later furthered and many believe he improved Bentham’s theory (Mill is often linked to Rule Utilitarianism) but still followed many of his original ideas. The theory is based on ancient hedonism, which pursued physical pleasure and avoided physical pain. Hedonism saw human beings as “Under the governance of two sovereign masters of pain and pleasure.” So a key concept that Bentham developed was the belief we are controlled by the desire to seek out pleasure and avoid pain bringing about the greatest happiness principle which is choosing the path that gives the greatest amount of people the greatest amount of happiness and the least amount of pain. This makes the theory eudaimonic.…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The short story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula LeGuin is one that sparks interest and debate. LeGuin starts the story by introducing us to the utopian city of Omelas. However, the survival of Omelas’ happiness depends on the mistreatment of one forsaken child. Although all of the citizens know about the child, most choose to accept that “all the prosperity and beauty and delight would wither and be destroyed” if the child were treated fairly. Some, on the other hand, after seeing the child and the horrible conditions it lives in, decide to walk away from it all and leave Omelas forever. LeGuin’s fantasy utopia is much like the world we live in today. There are many who suffer at the expense of those who prosper every day.…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Classical Utilitarianism is a moral philosophy, which was developed in 19th century England by Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick. The essential feature a utilitarian reside in, is the notion that an action is right if it produces the most amount of happiness well limiting suffering. Utilitarianism focuses solely on the consequences of the action, in an attempt to bring about the most happiness from each situation, well ensuring everybody’s happiness is equally considered.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This obligation to help others introduces the concept of utilitarianism. In general, this idea requires an individual, or society as a whole, to act in such a way as to promote "the maximization of goodness in society – that is, the greatest goodness for the greatest number" (Pojman 107). Therefore, the person is the focus of happiness. In addition, utilitarianism falls in the category of teleological ethics, which is concerned with the conclusion or the consequences of a particular act, and not the means by which that end result was produced. Using the act of lying as an example, Pojman states, "the act that is right produces the best consequences…the only thing wrong with lying for the teleologist is the bad consequences it produces" (107). It is not the act itself that makes lying bad to the teleologist, but the end result. Normally, t…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays