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Agree to Disagree: Is Meritocracy Overrated?

ARGUING YES

Daniel Markovits

Professor at Yale Law School , Author of "The Meritocracy Trap"

0 seconds of 50 minutes, 35 secondsVolume 90%

00:00

50:35

November 26, 2021

ARGUING NO

Adrian Wooldridge

Political Editor and Columnist at The Economist

0 seconds of 50 minutes, 35 secondsVolume 90%

00:00

50:35

November 26, 2021

Agree to Disagree: Is Meritocracy Overrated?

ARGUING YES

Daniel Markovits

Professor at Yale Law School , Author of "The Meritocracy Trap"

ARGUING NO

Adrian Wooldridge

Political Editor and Columnist at The Economist

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Brief

The days of kings and queens are largely over. That old hereditary lottery, at least within many democracies, has effectively been replaced by a system in which talent, grit, and ability are meant to set the terms of success. To quote Michael Shaara’s famous Civil War novel, The Killer Angels, “Here we judge you by what you do, not by what your father was.” And yet with income inequality on the rise, and amidst a pernicious and lingering legacy of slavery and racism, new questions are cropping up as to whether meritocracy itself is mere illusion. Those who say “yes” point to examples of wealth transfers within families, and networks that pave the way for lucrative jobs and fancy educations. Those who say “no” argue that not only does talent ultimately win out, but that despite its flaws, meritocratic systems remain the most effective way of lifting disenfranchised groups from obscurity. In this context, we debate the question: “Is Meritocracy Overrated?”

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Jon Limbird

15 December 2021 - 16:43 PM

Debater defined meritocracy as IQ+Effort, but the first example is a gymnast which is purely an athletic pursuit (also exemplifies meritocracy). Using elite Ivy League schools as a point of discussion is more of a class/caste/elite debate which continues to be a dominate power play by their constituents. A tenured professor at an elite Ivy...

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