Daniel Markovits, a Yale Law School professor and author of "The Meritocracy Trap," critiques the very foundation of meritocracy. He reveals how it has morphed into a tool for wealth transfer that diminishes opportunities for all. The discussion touches on rising economic inequality, the changing landscape of wealth, and the college admissions scandal as a symptom of systemic flaws. Markovits advocates for redefining meritocracy to prioritize social utility, highlighting its implications on personal fulfillment and societal equity.
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insights INSIGHT
The Shift in Inequality
Modern inequality is less about poverty and more about exploding wealth at the top.
High-end inequality creates social instability, as seen with middle-class anger and elite overreach.
insights INSIGHT
The Superordinate Working Class
Today's rich work harder than ever, earning their income through labor, unlike past leisure classes.
This shift creates a sense of entitlement, making traditional inequality arguments less effective.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Wall Street's Self-Perception
A Wall Street email exemplified the self-perception of the rich as hardworking earners, not privileged elites.
Diminished low-end inequality weakens the humanitarian argument for redistribution.
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Written in 1958, 'The Rise of the Meritocracy' is a satirical work that projects a future society in 2034 where the concept of meritocracy has led to a rigidly stratified society. The book argues that the formula 'IQ + effort = merit' has become the basis for social hierarchy, resulting in a significant gulf between the highly intelligent upper classes and the less intelligent lower classes. Young critiques the idea of meritocracy, highlighting its potential to create a society where the upper classes lack empathy for the lower classes and where social mobility is severely limited. The work is notable for its insightful and often humorous critique of the potential consequences of a meritocratic system.
The race between education and technology
Lawrence F. Katz
Claudia Goldin
The Meritocracy Trap
Daniel Markovits
In *The Meritocracy Trap*, Daniel Markovits argues that meritocracy, rather than being a virtuous and efficient system, has become the single greatest obstacle to equal opportunities in America. The book exposes how meritocracy breeds inequality, ensnares even those at the top in intense work regimes, and prevents social mobility. Markovits, drawing from his extensive experience at elite universities, provides a comprehensive critique of the meritocratic system, highlighting its corrosive effects on both the middle class and the elite. He also discusses the need for a new perspective that moves beyond the current meritocratic narrative to achieve a more equitable society.
In The Meritocracy Trap, Daniel Markovits argues that meritocracy — a system set-up to expand opportunity, reduce inequality and end aristocracy — has become exactly what it was set up to combat: a mechanism for intergenerational wealth transfer that leaves everyone worse off in the process.
Markovits isn’t only challenging a system; he is challenging the system that I (and probably most of you) have been part of for our entire lives. For better or worse, Meritocracy is the water we swim in. We implicitly accept its values, practices, arguments, and assumptions because they govern our everyday lives.
This interview was a chance for me to exit the water. Maybe it will be for you as well.
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The Gray Area with Sean Illing 
