meritocracy
Sign in to saveMeritocracy (merit, from Latin , and -cracy, from Ancient Greek 'strength, power') is the notion of a political system in which economic goods or political power are vested in individual people based on ability and talent, rather than wealth or social class. Advancement in such a system is based on performance, as measured through examination or demonstrated achievement.
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Meritocracy is a system where people gain economic rewards and political power based on their abilities and talent rather than their wealth or social class. In a meritocratic system, advancement depends on how well people perform, typically measured through tests or demonstrated accomplishments.
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Article
34 sectionsContents
- Conceptions
- Early conceptions
- More recent conceptions
- Etymology
- History
- Imperial China
- Ancient Greece
- Islamic World
- 17th century
- 18th century
- 19th century
- 20th century to today
- Confucianism and meritocracy
- Institutional design
- Promotion system
- Compatibility with liberalism and democracy
- Critique of political meritocracy
- Criticism
- By individuals
- Michael Young
- The Rise and Rise of the Meritocracy
- Chris Hayes
- Pope Francis
- Books
- The Meritocracy Trap
- The Tyranny of Merit
- Imagined Meritocracy
- Practicality
- Undesirable outcomes
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Meritocracy (merit, from Latin , and -cracy, from Ancient Greek 'strength, power') is the notion of a political system in which economic goods or political power are vested in individual people based on ability and talent, rather than wealth or social class. Advancement in such a system is based on performance, as measured through examination or demonstrated achievement.
Although the concept of meritocracy has existed for centuries, the first known use of the term was by sociologist Alan Fox in the journal Socialist Commentary in 1956. It was then popularized by sociologist Michael Dunlop Young, who used the term in his dystopian political and satirical book The Rise of the Meritocracy in 1958. While the word was coined and popularized as a pejorative, its usage has ameliorated. Today, the term is often utilised to refer to social systems in which personal advancement and success primarily reflect an individual's capabilities and merits, frequently seen as equality of opportunity. It thus challenges forms of nepotism or hereditary aristocracy.