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What is a socially-just solution to the problem in Omelas?

A socially-just solution to the problem in "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" would address the suffering of the child.


A socially-just solution represents a desire for equity.  It strives to provide fairness for all people in a social setting. This would mean that the inherent unfairness in Omelas would have to be addressed. For example, freeing the child from being imprisoned would be one socially-just solution.


Le Guin's story is predicated upon the idea that the people in Omelas can only be happy because the child suffers.  A solution predicated upon social justice might involve freeing the child, would remedy this predicament.   It would be rooted in fairness for all people and would seek to reverse institutional unfairness.  The child would experience the same freedom that the people of Omelas experience. This mindset is socially-just because it challenges how the townspeople see the child. The townspeople know that they can only be happy because the child is miserable.  A socially-just solution would require be one that is fair to all people.    


In seeking to eliminate the child's suffering, a socially-just solution would be concerned with equity for all.  Regardless of the the happiness of other people, it would emphatically suggest that the child's condition has to be remedied. When this is done, the society of Omelas is closer to being more just because it moves closer to fairness.

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