Or, how cynicism masquerading as realism constrains our moral imagination and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that sabotages the futures we might otherwise create.
Quick read, and seems to be following a somewhat aligned track of thinking to yours, though moves in a different pattern. Would be curious your thoughts!
Thanks, Pablo! I read it once years ago and again while writing this essay. I tried to read as many responses to Omelas as I could. I'm thinking about writing a mini-post talking about some of the best ones.
Um-Helat certainly raises a lot of interesting questions. The most significant thing I'd note is that Omelas is subjectively constructed -- the suffering child isn't suggested to be the price of happiness, merely a way to get us to accept the story -- whereas the narrator from Um-Helat is relating to us the reality of their city and suggests that their "social workers" are the actual price of such a place. I'd love to unpack the two stories a bit more sometime!
The concept of the Omelas narrator inventing the suffering child is so so smart. Great essay!!
Great essay, Derek! Have you read NK Jemisin's "The Ones who Stay and Fight"? https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-ones-who-stay-and-fight/
Quick read, and seems to be following a somewhat aligned track of thinking to yours, though moves in a different pattern. Would be curious your thoughts!
A better world is possible!
Thanks, Pablo! I read it once years ago and again while writing this essay. I tried to read as many responses to Omelas as I could. I'm thinking about writing a mini-post talking about some of the best ones.
Um-Helat certainly raises a lot of interesting questions. The most significant thing I'd note is that Omelas is subjectively constructed -- the suffering child isn't suggested to be the price of happiness, merely a way to get us to accept the story -- whereas the narrator from Um-Helat is relating to us the reality of their city and suggests that their "social workers" are the actual price of such a place. I'd love to unpack the two stories a bit more sometime!