Motion 2

The House
The City of Omelas is a paradise of 100 people. There is no suffering, want, or inclination for
one to rule over one another. In order to maintain this state, a single unfortunate citizen must be
chosen by lottery to be imprisoned in perpetual darkness and misery for life.

This House would rather be born in the City of Omelas than a city in this world where you
would have an average standard of life (eg: London, Dublin, Amsterdam, etc).

Argument 1 - happiness seen as the ‘greatest good’

Happiness is the 'greatest good'. Happiness that outweighs sadness because you live in
a wealthy society - better opportunities/ fully enjoy life -freedom, social justice, wealthy
community. wealth represents resources. definition: having a great deal of money,
resources, or assets;
Living in a prosperous society: numerous advantages that contribute to more
happiness. One of the most apparent benefits is the abundance of opportunities. Wealth
often means better access to education, healthcare, and employment prospects, allowing
individuals to pursue their passions and talents with fewer hindrances. This results in a
life filled with purpose and the fulfillment of one's potential.
Example: the poverty, inequality and education crisis in rural Africa
Rural areas in Africa: poor or nonexistent infrastructure and little or no provisions for other
critical social services.
This impacts the quality of education for rural-area children: getting to school is a difficult
challenge and illness of a pupil or a family member may force the pupil to drop out of
school entirely.
Rural schools: fewer qualified teachers and not enough teachers for the number of children
enrolled in school. The reasons for these low numbers in rural Africa: poverty and other
inequalities–urban areas offer greater opportunities and higher incomes.
QUOTE(statistics): One fifth of people living in Africa are considered malnourished.
This gives the continent the highest rate of malnourished people worldwide. More than 30
percent of African children suffer from growth disorders such as stunting due to their chronic
malnutrition. This disease causes a physical and mental underdevelopment in children.
MAIN IDEA: IN RURAL AFRICA CHILDREN/PEOPLE OFTEN DO NOT HAVE ACCESS
TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO DEVELOP AND FULFILL THEIR DREAMS (THIS IS
CAUSED BY POVERTY). not able to get a proper education

Moreover, by living in an environment where their basic needs are met, they are
more likely to support one another and engage in activities that promote community well-
being. Therefore, collective happiness leads to individual happiness.
Freedom is another critical component of happiness in a wealthy society. People have
the autonomy to make choices that align with their values and desires: SENSE OF
CONTROL OVER THE LIVES.
In conclusion, happiness as the 'greatest good' flourishes in a wealthy society because
of
● the ability to fully enjoy life
 ● freedom
● social justice(equality, no one rules on top of the others)
● a sense of community.
Thanks to these factors, the 99 individuals of Omelas can experience profound happiness that
outweighs the sadness of the one sacrificed person.
Example. Athos mountain

Counterargument 1.1 Using the most sophisticated measures of emotional well-being in a

large-scale survey of the American population, we found that wealthier individuals reported
less sadness but no more happiness during their daily activities,” says the study, which is
published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality
1.2.
The toxic positivity culture also leads to invalidation and suppress of expressing of sadness
and again leading to a much negative environment, leading to more negative emotions.
Basically, happiness is a subiective feeling.
1.3 Aldous Huxley’s dystopian
novel, Brave New World:
“But I don’t want comfort” [said John the Savage] “I want
God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want
goodness, I want sin.”
“In fact”, said Mustapha Mond [World Controller for Western
Europe] “you’re claiming the right to be unhappy” . . .
“Not to mention . . . the right to be tortured by unspeakable pains
of every kind.”
There was a long silence.
“I claim them all,” said the savage at last.''
Can one category – happiness/appreciation of life/wealth – cover all our feelings
of pleasure, bliss, joy, awe or contentment?

Argument 2 - the argument of human flourishing

As the society in Omelas is an idealistic one, where the citizens don’t have to worry
about work and making ends meet, they have time to focus on themselves and develop their
skills. For instance, after Thomas Eddison was expelled from school and his mother started
home-schooling him, he became one of the greatest minds of the century, inventing the light-
bulb. His idea was so good that the bulb itself has become the symbol for great ideas.
Therefore, he used all of his spare time to study and develop his personal traits, succeeding.
Human development starts in childhood and having supportive parents can play a
crucial role in facilitating a child's development. Supportive parents create a nurturing
environment that fosters emotional, cognitive, and social growth. They provide love,
guidance, and opportunities for learning and exploration, which can positively impact a
child's development.
However, it is essential to recognize that not all children have the same opportunities
or access to supportive environments. Socioeconomic factors, cultural influences, and other
external circumstances can significantly impact a child's development. Therefore, while
supportive parents can enhance a child's developmental trajectory, it is not the sole
determinant.
 Furthermore, human development is a lifelong process that continues beyond
childhood. It is influenced by various factors such as education, experiences, relationships,
and personal choices. While early childhood experiences lay the foundation for development,
individuals have the capacity to continue growing and evolving throughout their lives.
For example: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the child prodigy par excellence,
playing songs on the harpsichord at four years old and composing simple music at five. He
was lucky enough to have parents who managed to support him financially. When he was
seven years old, the Mozart family went on the first of several tours to demonstrate the
prodigious musical abilities of the young marvel and his elder sister Maria Anna
(“Nannerel”), who was also remarkably gifted. So there is no shortage of anecdotes about the
young Mozart’s astonishing musical dexterity, memory, and creativity in composition.
Also

Argument 3: the Argument of less miserable people and more

happy and equal ones.
As a member of the House, my personal preference would be to be born in a city
where the happiness is majoritar over the suffering of the one. In fact, it would be ideal if
there was only one person experiencing misery, even if that unfortunate position fell upon
me, while the rest of the population enjoyed their life. Comparing this hypothetical city,
Omelas, to other cities around the world, it becomes evident that the balance between
happiness and unhappiness is often skewed. For instance, statistics reveal that in very
populated metropolitan areas, like London, more than 15% of the population endures a state
of misery, a striking contrast to the 1% found in Omelas. Moreover, cities such as Rome and
Paris have to face an even more distressing scenario, with over 50% of their respective
populations living in poverty. More examples and statistics supporting this argument are:
Urban disparities (in Mumbai, India), Economic disparity (in New York City, USA),
Healthcare problems (in Nairobi, Kenya).
Firstly, in New York City, a city known for its financial wealth and opulence,the
income inequality is shocking. The top 1% of earners in the city take home 40% of the total
income, while many others struggle to make ends meet. Because, in Omelas, if nobody has an
inclination towards ruling one another, everybody being equal, means everyone has the better
income or wealth.
Furthermore, in India, more exactly Mumbai, over 60% of the population lives in
slums, facing inadequate sanitation, healthcare and overcrowded living conditions. This
contrast to the 1% suffering in Omelas, highlights the profound inequality between the 2
settings.
Secondly, in Nairobi, Kenya, healthcare access varies majorly. The wealthier
residents can afford high-quality private healthcare, while a significant portion of the
population relies on overcrowded and underfunded public facilities. The health disparities
within the city, emphasize how the suffering-to-happiness ratio is not equal for all its
residents, which would not happen in Omelas, that is paradise-like and everybody would
have good healthcare or, even better, wouldn’t even need healthcare, as the residents of the
city would always be healthy.
As these examples show, it is clear that the balance between happiness and
unhappiness in various cities around the world is far from ideal. Disparities in environment,
economy and healthcare all contribute to varying levels of suffering within urban centers.
Omelas, with its 1% suffering, stands as an exceptional example, and the real-world cities
discussed by me, underline the pressing need for policymakers to reduce suffering and
promoting happiness within their respective regions.

Opposition
Argument 1 - constant life
As I see it, if you lived a life with no accomplishments, you wouldn’t be motivated to
keep going and developing your skills. As the Israeli-American psychologist, Kahneman said,
you wouldn’t know what great happiness is, if you didn’t experience sadness.
The ups and downs are the ones that make life beautiful. Therefore living a constant
life would only make it monotonous, leading to a person’s unwillingness to enjoy life at its
highest potential.
For example: Mother Teresa was known for her compassion and selflessness and she
was also incredibly persistent in everything she did, dedicating her whole life to helping
others. The suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep
impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the
convent school, where she was studying, and devote herself to working among the poorest of
the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine
Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by
voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her
to extend the scope of her work. Mother Teresa’s work has been recognised and acclaimed
throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the
Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international
peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the
Templeton and Magsaysay awards.

Argument 2 :limited power of making choices

Choices are powerful because they can rewrite your destiny. One right choice could
change your future. Through the choices you make, you can unleash your incredible human
potential. Your choices today determine your tomorrow.
John Maxwell sums up the importance of decision-making like this: “Life is a matter
of choices, and every choice you make makes you.”
Your choices define your life. It is a stark statement, one that will horrify the
indecisive and empower the strong. Every decision you make becomes you. It is the one
thing we can truly control — our decisions. We are responsible for our choices.
Making decisions means taking a bet on the future — the future version of you. If
making a bet wasn’t hard enough, navigation of past bets lurks ready to spoil the
opportunity. Although we live in the present, we dwell on our histories, and we dream about
our futures. We can’t predict our futures, but we can prepare for them. And so, the
importance of decision making makes itself clear.
But is that enough?
We're all busy living in the moment, consumed by the petty issues of life. Everyday thoughts
are more frequently tied to decisions of our history— or the future — all with seemingly little
consequence. What should we have for dinner tomorrow? I wish I hadn't eaten that slice of
cake. Will my kids be okay walking to school tomorrow? How much should I pay off the
credit card this month?
 Living your whole life in the same city, Omelas, would limit the number of decisions
one could make. For example, it being a paradise-like city, means there’s no bad, implying
people wouldn’t be able to make decisions that would cause badness or harm. This implies
that residents of Omelas aren’t able to make wrong decisions, which already shortens the
number of choices one could make in this hypothetical city. Also, living only in one city, limits
the number of locations where you can settle and having just 100 inhabitants restrains the
amount of friends you could have or the amount of people you could get along with.
I could give, the population of North Korea, as an example. As North Korea is a
communist country with strict rules, residents of the country are not able to leave it, meaning
that almost everyone lives their whole life in the same spot. Even though most of their laws
can be considered bad, their closed borders are seen as good, because, according to the
leaders, it prevents wars, external diseases and the society can be maintained unified.
However, the majority of North Koreans aren’t pleased of staying in the same country their
whole lives, the spirit of travelling being a human desire. Yet, living only in Omelas, counters
this desire, making some of the inhabitants’ lives boring. Even if they don’t know what
boredom or sadness is, they could still feel weird or different than the others.
As my example shows, Omelas is not an ideal city to live in, as the choices one could
make are limited, making their lives boring.

Argument 3: you could be the chosen one

Omelas poses a moral dilemma/quandary. The city is extremely peaceful for most
inhabitants, BUT the very foundation of this happiness relies on the eternal/constant
suffering of one unfortunate individual.

Therefore, The choice to live in Omelas is a selfish one, as you are knowingly
deciding to be happy as a result of someone’s suffering. The paradise in Omelas RELIES on
the cruel sacrifice, so your well-being is a direct result of the agony of the chosen person. The
likelihood/possibility of this happening is entirely random/unpredictable and beyond anyone's
control. In the real world, although life is far from paradise, individuals have a chance to
determine their own destinies and not everything is decided for them. You have no power
over changing the future.

The choice also means accepting the risk of being that one person condemned to life
in darkness and misery. You are at risk of contracting malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis which
are highly detrimental to your health, as well as other mental illnesses, such as severe
depression, anxiety disorder, acute stress disorder,

A study conducted by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention of the US shows that,
overall, approximately 20% of inmates in jails and 15% of inmates in state prisons are now
estimated to have a serious mental illness. Based on the total inmate population, this means
approximately 383,000 individuals. Social isolation and loneliness have been linked to
increased risk for: Heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes, Depression and anxiety,
AddictionSuicidality and self-harm, Dementia, Earlier death.
 In conclusion, while the concept of Omelas may seem tempting on the surface, the
moral and psychological implications of the risk of being the chosen one make it a
problematic choice. Opting to be born in a city with an average standard of life in the real
world provides a more stable and ethical foundation for one's happiness, as it doesn't come at
the cost of another's perpetual suffering.

Contraargument 3 motion 2: Choices are powerful because they can rewrite your destiny.
One right choice could change your future. Through the choices you make, you can unleash
your incredible human potential. Your choices today determine your tomorrow.

John Maxwell sums up the importance of decision-making like this: “Life is a matter of
choices, and every choice you make makes you.”

Your choices define your life. It is a stark statement, one that will horrify the indecisive and
empower the strong. Every decision you make becomes you.

it is the one thing we can truly control — our decisions.We are responsible for our choices.

Making decisions means taking a bet on the future — the future version of you. If making a
bet wasn’t hard enough, navigation of past bets lurks ready to spoil the opportunity. Although
we live in the present, we dwell on our histories, and we dream about our futures. We can’t
predict our futures, but we can prepare for them. And so, the importance of decision making
makes itself clear.

But is that enough?

We're all busy living in the moment, consumed by the petty issues of life.

Everyday thoughts are more frequently tied to decisions of our history— or the future — all
with seemingly little consequence. What should we have for dinner tomorrow? I wish I hadn't
eaten that slice of cake. Will my kids be okay walking to school tomorrow? How much
should I pay off the credit card this month?