Understanding Kant and Le Guin
This essay reviews Le Guin’s fictional story, “The Ones who walk away from Omelas” in light of Emmanuel Kant’s philosophy of enlightenment. Kant’s understanding of enlightenment focuses on man’s freedom from self-incurred tutelage. Kant believed that enlightenment offered people an opportunity to reduce intellectual bondage. He offered analysis of the occurrence of tutelage and made proposals for what it takes to be enlightened. Kant believes that human beings should be think freely (Kant 1). Human beings should be accorded dignified treatment regardless of their diversity because the human beings share the fundamental aspect of humanity. He observed that tutelage existed because people are lazy and cowardly. Cowardice, according to Kant supplements laziness. The fear of venturing into unknown scope of knowledge made people to restrict themselves to what was already known. Another cause of tutelage was the habit by a privileged few to deprive others of knowledge.
Kant added that the elites in the society suppressed the rest of the society members by limiting the amount of knowledge they could get. He describes the final cause of tutelage as complacency and blind obedience. Through obedience, did not challenge existing norms in order to reduce their suffering (Kant 3). Kant opined that for enlightenment to occur, the freedom of an individual is paramount. Freedom allows an individual to be free. A free man has a wide latitude to engage his mind and think beyond what is known. When people are allowed to express freely, they think creatively and generate new ideas that can transform a society. Thus, freedom and tolerance to conflicting opinions are needed for a society to be free.
Kant warns that while people have the ability to express themselves, such expression should not preclude them from fulfilling duties for the public. Kant concluded that true enlightenment should include listening to the wishes of the citizens and fulfilling their aspirations. In this regard, leaders should not compel people to follow them blindly. A government should not intimidate its citizens. Instead, it should encourage them to voice their concerns. Kant put so much blame on the general public for accepting tutelage from leaders who deprive them of education and imposes obedience upon them. This reading has profound effect on the ones who walk away from Omelas.
Omelas city is a utopian paradise. There is so much happiness and excitement in this city. At the time the story is written, the people of Omelas are celebrating summer festival. It is a bright day. The children are seen riding horses as the sound of music fills the air. The existence of happiness is a strange concept to a young child locked in a closet. Unlike the rest of the members of this city, this child lacks basic freedom (Le Guin 3). He is isolated from the rest of the group. Le Guin observes that the lack of happiness for this child is the reason the entire city is full of happiness. If the child is released to pursue his happiness, the entire city would wallow in sadness and lack of happiness. The splendors, music, architecture and health of the entire city would be in jeopardy. The story of Omelas points to evokes fundamental ethical concerns on the subject of happiness.
Based on the two readings, it is clear that Le Guin’s story raises a fundamental ethical question. The child who derives happiness for people in the entire city is a starving child. He lacks basic freedom. People who wish to see this child are allowed to come and see him. He only feeds on half a bowl of cornmeal. During the day, he sits naked and sometimes get dirty in its excrement. The child does not talk because people are not allowed to speak any word to him. The plight of this child depicts the lack of freedom that Emmanuel Kant tells us in his philosophy of enlightenment. Le Guin’s insists that the happiness of the greater members of this community must be pegged on the suffering of one of the members of this community. However, Kant believes that such suffering deprives the child of his basic freedom. The child lacks the freedom to think freely out of his situation because no one is allowed to utter a word to him. In light of Kant’s teachings, one would think that the leaders of this city have deliberately use their privileged authority to deny the child his freedom so that the rest of city members can enjoy their utopian life.
Evaluating Le Guin
Le Guin attempts to introduce utilitarianism ethical concept in a unique way. Utilitarianism holds that an act is morally good if it brings the greatest good to the greatest possible number. Le Guin’s story reveal the happiness of virtually every member of the city expect a single child whose suffering is the reason happiness prevails in this city. According to utilitarianism, the exclusion of the child to in order to guarantee the entire city happiness is morally sound. This book reveals a sharp conflict between Bentham’s utilitarianism concept and Kant’s deontological ethics.
Kantian ethics hold that human behavior should be guided by sound principle. An action does not quality to be moral merely because it brings the greatest good to the highest possible number. Kant believes that rationalism should be basis of human behavior (O’Neill 4). That every action should be based on principle. Kant believes that people should think independently and take responsibility for their actions. He observes the society will have independently thinkers. He believes that such people have shaken off the bondage of nonage. In this regard, human actions should be based on their values and ability to think for themselves. Deontological ethics has major strengths which include restrictions such as undue killing of innocent people even if the consequence of their death means good for others. In the case of Omelas, the restriction of the freedom of the starving child fails to meet the basic tenets of Kantian ethics. Le Guin’s manifestation of utilitarianism is legendary.
Politics implicit in Le Guin’s work
The politics in Le Guin’s work relate to the contrasting arguments on among various philosophical thoughts. Some philosophers believe that a wrong does not qualify to be a right because majority share it. The intention by Le Guin to underscore utilitarianism in his story puts him at loggerheads with the objectors of this ethical theory. Kant proposes a value system that must guide all ethical actions. He gives an example of telling a lie. That the act of lying is unethical irrespective of its effect on the person telling it. Kant believes that an individual should be able to explore his reason and think. While he thinks, the individual must make choices and conclusions devoid of persuasion of influence of others.
How Le Guin’s story changes the critical reading
Le Guin’s has an impact on Kant’s philosophy of enlightenment. Towards the end of Le Guin’s story, the people in Omelas are cognizant of the reality of justice because the life of the degraded child has made them know what it means to happy (Le Guin 5). In this regard, they must base their lives on the value of happiness. This part is akin to Kant’s appeal which advises people to pursue happiness anchored on freedom. People who enjoy freedom are happy because they are able to pursue excellence without restrictions. These two readings have unique resemblances in the way the ethics has been introduced. We see lack of freedom for which Kant hopes to enlighten while the very lack of freedom is evident in the lack life of the starving child.
Works Cited
Kant, Immanuel. What is Enlightenment? Vancouver. Fairleigh Dickinson University. 2013.
Print.
Le Guin, Ursula. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. Pennsylvania. Penn State
O'Neill, Onora. Acting on principle: An essay on Kantian ethics. Cambridge University Press,
2013.
