> He explained that these concepts were not intended to be taken literally, but rather were presented as a “science-fiction storyline” to start conversation. I

> He explained that these concepts were not intended to be taken literally, but rather were presented as a “science-fiction storyline” to start conversation. I think we need more space for devil's advocacy. We don't really know what we believe unless we can calmly, rationally argue for it rather than evading it. Modest proposals have a lot to teach. Failing to engage with alternatives to our values makes us more vulnerable to them, not less. The world would not be improved if The Handmaid's Tale had been suppressed, and a non-fictional debate on a similar topic is no different. This example amounts to a gedankenexperiment simulation of an alternative incentive structure. We have a lot to learn about the effect of incentives, and simulations are the best available teacher that doesn't require tuition in blood.