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The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

Ursula K. Le Guin · 1973 · Short Story

Explore this on the mapTrace its ancestors and descendants live in the tree.

It is the foundational utilitarian thought experiment in SF, forcing a stark moral confrontation with the cost of collective happiness.

What it is

This foundational utilitarian thought experiment explores a seemingly perfect utopia built upon the suffering of one innocent child. It challenges readers to confront the moral cost of collective happiness and the ethics of sacrifice.

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