Analysis Of 'The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas'

Would you walk away from a utopia if its very existence was dependent on the abject suffering of one child? In Episode #188 on 'Injustice' Juan and I discuss: the basic plot of the fantastic short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, why people might actively create injustice in the world, the internal processes we use to justify with doing morally dubious things, times in our life when we have felt injustice, how being utilitarian might both be good and a bad thing, our decision if we were characters in the story and why taking heroin to increase your wellbeing might just make sense.

As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!

Timeline:

(0:00) - Intro

(1:30) - Definition

(2:20) - Summary of 'The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas'

(9:18) - Where does injustice start?

(14:40) - Benefiting from people less fortunate

(18:19) - Justification: the internal process of creating justice

(20:45) - Personal stories of receiving/doling out injustice

(25:36) - The utilitarian viewpoint

(32:07) - Would we walk away from the Omelas?

(37:28) - Ethically speaking, everyone should start taking heroin

(41:05) - Injustice that is visible

(44:59) - Mere Mortal Moments

(48:25) - The biggest injustice in the world right now

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