There are many different ways that the people of the world look at social justice. Many people from all over the world have different ideas and theories of what is right and wrong. Everyone has their own morals, and it has caused the world to develop many diverse kinds of social justice. People do not always agree and in fact they can be completely opposite. In Le Guin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas", two very different theories arise. Some people chose to take action to allow the city to remain in its blissful ways and others chose to leave the town because they do not believe in the form of social justice the city accepts.
One approach at social justice is to do whatever possible to help the most people live a good life. This concept is that social justice is in a society acting to provide happiness to the whole community in the best way possible. It does not consider the individual. This form of social justice does not benefit anyone different from normal in society. It is there to provide for the greater good not the good of one person. Le Guin presents this concept very clearly. The people in Omelas feel compassion but not guilt for the one child that cannot live well. The lack of quilt in their lives is the only way they can remain eternally happy. They are sadden by the knowledge of the child but overcome the sorrow in time. The town's people feel that the child is too far gone, and they should just let him or her live the life that he or she knows. Le Guin states that the teens overcome their feelings because, "They begin to realize that even if the child could be released, it would not get much good". In their minds there is no helping the child, and they should just be glad that the other children can live happily.
Another theory of social justice is based on the individual person rather than the society as a whole. The happiness of every single person is necessary for the community to be truly happy. These people rally together to bring someone up and are willing to sacrifice to help them. The people who choose to leave Omelas follow this idea. They cannot stand to see that poor child suffer. They give up their guaranteed happiness in hopes that others will too and the child will be free. This theory is only implied by Le Guin. They leave the town alone and head out to into the world. They go alone in their efforts to sympathize with the child. They want to feel better about the mountain of guilt inside of them. Even though these people do not help the child, they do something. If enough people made this decision, the town of Omelas would be forced to change.
