The Aristocracy of Talent
Categories: Politics & Social Sciences
In The Aristocracy of Talent (2021), journalist Adrian Wooldridge tells the history of meritocracy, the idea that positions should go to people on the basis of ability rather than birth. Wooldridge traces the idea from ancient China and Plato through the rise of competitive examinations and the modern university, and shows how it transformed societies by challenging privilege and patronage. He examines the growing backlash against meritocracy from left and right, and argues that it should be renewed rather than abandoned.
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