The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, by Ursula LeGuin

Perhaps her most famous short story, it has often been categorized as philosophical fiction, and even fable. This has perplexed me, because it seems to work best as science fiction, in the sense that the metaphor of the scapegoat is literalized and given a kind of psychological heft. The central idea behind the story, which, simply put, suggests that an utopian community that has made its peace with compromise is morally suspect, is much too abstract if not held in check by specificity of context. Whereas LeGuin's short story does exactly that: the child at the heart of the story is mentally disabled, and serves to elicit pity in a community that seems to be the epitome of human ingenuity, creativity and biological prosperity. Through such pity, a strong moral undercurrent perpetuates. This suggests that without abjection, there can be no ethics. A sinister idea to say the least, and much more so when you take it literally, as opposed to it being an unconscious facet of civilization.