Notes: The Tyranny of Merit
source: The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel
The usual objection to our current system is that we haven’t properly implemented a meritocracy. We take for granted that a meritocracy is the goal
The college admission scandal
(March 2019) elaborate cheating scheme - rich parents got their kids into elite universities
- Parents involved in the college admission scandal hid it from their children
Legitimate college admission
We generally take for granted that people who get into schools based on merit deserve the benefits of attending an elite school
There’s an effort to tie college admission to merit, but the metrics (like SAT scores) usually track family income
Why do parents work so hard to get their children into good schools?
- there’s a growing income gap, and it’s tied to education
Pitfalls of meritocracy
In a meritocratic society, the winners think they earned their success
- It’s easy to dismiss the help of parents and teachers
- it also means that losers can only blame themselves
- winners are dismissive of losers, and losers are resentful of winners
When we think of ourselves as self-made and self sufficient, we have less gratitude and humility
- this diminishes civic responsibility