LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “Omelas Is Perfectly Misread” by Tobias H
Oct 3, 2025
Dive into the fascinating world of Le Guin's 'Omelas' as the discussion unfolds its typical critiques of utilitarianism and global inequality. The narrative challenges readers to question their acceptance of a perfect utopia amidst hidden suffering. Explore why many reject the idea of pure happiness without darkness. The podcast navigates through as Le Guin’s experimental device highlights our complicity in this dilemma. Ultimately, it argues that the story serves as a meta-critique on our perceptions of happiness and moral choices.
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The Standard Reading
- Omelas is commonly read as a utilitarian critique where a city's happiness depends on one child's suffering.
- Tobias H. highlights this as the popular interpretation used in ethics classes and inequality debates.
Utopia Is Intentionally Pleasurable
- Le Guin deliberately spends most of the story establishing believable, intense happiness before introducing the suffering child.
- The story lacks any causal mechanism linking the child's misery to the city's joy, making the suffering an explicit narrative device.
Believability Comes With Darkness
- Le Guin tests the reader's credulity by asking if the city seems more believable once it has a dark secret.
- Tobias argues readers do find Omelas more credible only after the introduction of suffering.
