The First Flaw With the Meritocratic Ideal

It's tempting to assume that if only we could have a perfect meritocracy, then we would have a just society. The idea is attractive at first glance, because we fall short of the meritocratic principles we profess. Chances are not truly equal. So it's tempting to think, if only we can give everyone an equal chance, enable everyone to start the race of life at the same starting line, then we could say that the winners deserve their winnings. That winning is a true measure of one's merit and talent. But even a perfect meritocrats would fall short of being a just society - even if we could achieve it. It wrongly attributes moral dessert to the winners,