(Is this an article or a book?) Ursula Le Guin gave her story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, the subtitle, “Variations on a Theme by William James”, in deference to his declaration. However, David Brooks writes, “In many different venues, the suffering of the few is justified by those trying to deliver the greatest good for the greatest number.” Is it worth it if that happiness has to come as a result of the suffering of a five-year old girl, Ivan, the realistic brother, asks Alyosha, the religious brother, in The Brothers Karamazov. Alyosha replies it would not be, but David Brooks again notes, “we tolerate exploitation, telling each other that their misery is necessary for overall affluence.” This is the quandary posed by “the child in the