Dr. Adrian Wooldridge is a political editor at The Economist and author of the new book ‘The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World.’

In this episode, Dr. Wooldridge and I discuss how his new book has been received, the history of meritocracy, how IQ testing shaped educational policy, group-based judgement, and the importance of defending liberal individualism.

—Links—

Follow Dr. Wooldridge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adwooldridge

‘The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World:’ https://amazon.com/Aristocracy-Talent...

More books by Dr. Wooldridge: https://amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/...

—Chapters—

[0:00] Intro

[1:06] Reviews of ‘The Aristocracy of Talent’

[3:47] Measuring the Mind, History of IQ Testing, & British Education

[7:22] 11+ System vs. the Modern Prolonged Educational System

[10:22] Workplace Selection Tests

[11:58] IQ Literature & IQ Testing for the US Military

[14:55] Michael Young’s ‘The Rise of the Meritocracy’

[16:58] Pareto Distribution, Matthew Principle, & Creative Achievement Tests

[18:22] History of Meritocracy

[22:43] Conflating Moral Worth with Intellectual Ability

[24:25] Conceptual Inadequacy & “Bell Curve Liberals”

[29:45] Blank Slate Argument & Ethnic Differences in IQ Testing

[34:59] White Working Class in England

[37:45] Perception of Meritocracy in the UK vs. US

[42:21] Judging People as Group Members

[48:17] Distinction Between Affirmative Action & Diversity

[51:36] Idea of Meritocracy as Propaganda for the Elite

[54:00] Openness of Competition of Examinations

[56:10] Foucault & the Complexity of Perception

[59:55] Social Justice, Economic Efficiency & Growth Rates

[1:05:35] Challenges to Western Dominance

[1:10:59] European Ladder of Opportunity & Plutocracy

[1:14:32] Ethics: Levels of Analysis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Week of October 27th, 2025: Extra love and luck, thanks to Jupiter