| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | International Encyclopedia of Ethics |
| Editors | Hugh LaFollette |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell Publishers |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 2025 |
Abstract
A meritocracy is a society in which positions of advantage and power are distributed based on people’s merit. Although the word ‘meritocracy’ was only coined during the 1950s by Michael Dunlop Young, merit as a principle for organizing society is much older. The relationship between merit, equality of opportunity, and desert are explored. Several recent critiques of meritocracy are discussed, including that meritocratic thinking is responsible for the rise of populism around the globe.
Keywords
- affirmative action
- Arendt, Hannah
- Aristotle
- desert
- discrimination
- merit
- meritocracy
- equality of opportunity
- glass ceiling
- Rawls, John
- justice
- Mill, John Stuart
- Mozi
- Plato
- racism