Excerpt: In Defense of Ethical Reading: An Analysis of Ursula K. LeGuin’s Hedonistic Utilitarian Uto
Of course, it would seem that “gaining happiness at the expense of the pain of others” is morally wrong and ought to be a rejected practice. And yet, I need only look at the label
inside of my t-shirt to be reminded of the extent to which I participate in a culture of hedonistic utilitarianism without very much thought as to how I justify my actions as well as the implications of my actions in terms of what is morally good. In failing to recognize and to seriously contend with the complex moral issues in literature, we threaten to diminish ourselves both critically and humanly. I do not mean to suggest that we ought to neglect issues of form or the use of rhetorical devices, but to do so at the expense of ignoring or disregarding the moral significance of a work is critically unsound. And, more importantly, when we fail to recognize that it is we—the educated, wealthy, privileged readers—who are the true citizens of Omelas, we do a great disservice to the text and to those who suffer for our benefit.