Is it time for a new meritocracy

Bibliographic Data

ID21727637
AuthorsVeronika Tašner (0000-0001-8535-1579, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, corresponding author), Slavko Gaber (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Year2022
Volume20
Issue2
Pages182-192
Publication date2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTheory and Research in Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1477-8785 • E-ISSN: 1741-3192
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14778785221113619
OpenAlexW4285593346
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited12

Meritocracy is a rationality that has significantly shaped the lives of people in modern societies, and today we all more or less believe that those who are smart, capable and hardworking will succeed in life. This seems to be a rule that applies in more or less all areas of public life. In the Western world, evaluating and judging ourselves and others based on meritocracy has become an imperative that we rarely question and despite the problems associated with meritocracy, politicians, parents and teachers continue to promote it. In The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?, Prof. Sandel lays out the genealogy of the aforementioned prevailing rationality and, in particular, highlights the limits and problems of meritocracy that are often overlooked. However, he does not leave it at a mere critique, but also offers a reflection on ways out of the problems of meritocracy. We continue along the path taken by the professor. The first part of our article highlights the critique as reconsiderations of the concept, then continues with reflections on the future of education, merit and wage labour, and concludes with thoughts on the possibility of creating a new meritocracy

Economics · Epistemology · Meritocracy · Political science · Positive economics · Rationality · Social science · Sociology · Law · Philosophy · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

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