By Jenny Tang, IV Form 

An Argument for Utilitarianism: Omelas

The 1973 short story “The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas” presents the fictional town of Omelas whose citizens’ happiness, for an unchangeable reason, depends wholly on the grave suffering of one child, whom they trap in a cellar. After learning about this child, some Omelans oppose the idea by walking away, while others accept and stay.

 Citizens of Omelas should accept the situation and stay because it maximizes the collective happiness.