Meritocracy

As the suffix "-cracy" implies, meritocracy is strictly speaking a system of government based on rule by ability (merit) rather than by wealth or social position. In this context, "merit" means roughly intelligence plus effort. However, the word "meritocracy" is now often used to describe a type of society where wealth, income, and social status are assigned through competition, on the assumption that the winners do indeed deserve (merit) their resulting advantage. As a result, the word has acquired a connotation of Social Darwinism, and is used to describe aggressively competitive societies, with large inequality of income and wealth, contrasted with egalitarian societies.

Origin of term

The term was first used, in a pejorative sense, in Michael Young's 1958 book Rise of the Meritocracy, which is set in a future in which one's social place is determined by IQ plus effort. In the book, this social system ultimately leads to a social revolution in which the masses overthrow the elite, who have become arrogant and disconnected from the feelings of the public.

Related Topics:
Michael Young - 1958 - Rise of the Meritocracy - IQ

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Despite the negative origin of the word, there are many who believe that a meritocratic system is a good thing for society. Proponents of meritocracy argue that a meritocratic system is more just and more productive than other systems, and that it allows for an end to distinctions based on such things as sex and race (though social classes would still exist).

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Young's central criticism of meritocracy was that a system in which social position is determined by objective characteristics would still be inegalitarian and unstable. There have since been other lines of criticism; proponents of critical theory often argue that merit is defined by the power elite simply to legitimise a system in which social status is actually determined by class, birth, and wealth.

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Often, opponents of the concept of meritocracy argue that characteristics such as intelligence or effort are simply impossible to measure accurately (for example, one may ask "Who was more intelligent, Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein?"). Therefore, in their view, any implementation of meritocracy necessarily involves a high degree of guesswork and is inherently flawed.

Related Topics:
Isaac Newton - Albert Einstein

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