Meritocracy

the case for those who can look smart based on appearance, or impressive due to successful manipulation of the system. The elite fabricate this idea of society being a meritocracy, but these merits aren’t always in line with hard work; it is corrupted by the prejudices present within society. Ho argues this point by stating that “the pinnacle of meritocracy is necessarily precarious: it is shot through with class, race, and gender hierarchies” (Ho 181). This signifies how merits can often be based on appearance rather than hard work. Those who don’t posses white male privilege may not be seen as impressive, and therefore won’t fit the criteria of being a part of the elite. The idea of merits not being based on hard work is reinforced by Stiglitz’s view of those who benefit from the meritocracy; he explains that “by looking at those at the top of the wealth distribution, we can get a feel for the nature of this aspect of America’s inequality. Few are inventors who have reshaped technology, or scientists who have reshaped our understandings of the laws of nature” (Stiglitz 402). This…

Why follow the rules? Why not get what you want when you want it however you can get it? The mere function of today’s world is based on the elite necessity to have every citizen obey their laws. In addition, people never stop to ask themselves, “Why is there a pressing validity in the action of obeying wholesome rules, and how does this benefit me personally”? Thrasymachus addresses the underlining importance behind morality and the misleading advantages that follow with being virtuous. In a…

Question #2 While most people cannot name the Meritocracy Myth, remain unaware of its existence and are unable to define it, they still believe it. It manages to permeate every facet of society and social institution. Its influence is everywhere. This would not be a problem if it were true. However, a myth by its very definition means something that is untrue and therefore the Meritocracy Myth is something we have learned to believe in with little basis in reality. Meritocracy is an ideology…

(Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy, 2001). There are plurality of goods and principles that should be considered while discussing the notion of equality (Legal, Political, Social, Moral and Material), it is a comparison of individuals in a certain framework. These ideologies are interconnected, but certain principles exclude others. Material equality is the most controversial and debated of all time, it is a “focus over the distribution of material goods such as income, health care, education”…

Meritocracy is a philosophy or a political system in which merits determine the social status of each individual. According to the Harrap’s Chambers dictionary meritocracy is “a social system based on leadership by people of great talent or intelligence, rather than of wealth or noble birth.” Even if it is never stated, most Western countries nowadays are using this meritocratic system, including America. It can be opposed to the aristocracy which is a government only led by a small part of…

In lecture, Dr. Schweingruber defined meritocracy as a social system where success is earned. The more effort you exert, the more you are rewarded from your actions. While this is a factor that could influence one to reach their goals, it is not the only path to success. Dr. Shweingruber identified a few traditional ways that one may reach success which included having good moral, a can-do attitude, and determination. The combination of these enabled me to reward myself just recently. One…

In America’s revolutionary years—the late 1700s—the nation’s people rapidly transitioned from subjects of monarchy and hierarchy to citizens of democracy and meritocracy. Because society was intertwined with the government at the time, social customs began to emphasize equal opportunity and the pursuit of happiness for all American citizens. The new Republic demolished the hereditary, dependent aristocracy and replaced it with a natural, talent-based aristocracy. Using the new sociopolitical…

Notions of excellence and meritocracy can be regarded as defining features of Western culture. The idea that individuals have the power and ability to work for what they want in life and in turn if they work hard they can accomplish the highest forms of excellence. Excellence is the normative idea grounded in Eurocentric ways of knowing, which seeks to keep racial hierarchies in play as excellence is propagated upon White bodies. These idealizations mask racist tenancies, and portray post-racial…

6. A meritocracy is a social ideology. The idea is that individuals can earn rewards based off of their individual talents and abilities. It implies that every individual has a fair and equal chance of success from fairly given opportunities. In a true meritocracy, an individual can obtain economic success based solely upon his or her merit, and not based on his or her race, social class, inheritance, or luck. Therefore, in a theoretical meritocracy, inequality is nonexistent. There are a few…

Regardless, media will always portray the message that has a connection to your life. In this class we got the opportunity to analyze” Finding Forrester, School Ties, and 3 Miles” and in all these of these movies, they all share a message about meritocracy. Meritocracy refers to a “social system in which individuals advance and earn rewards in direct proportion to their individual abilities and efforts. The term meritocracy was coined by British sociologist Michael Young (1915–2002) in his…