The Tyranny of Merit
author of Justice, reveals the driving force behind the resurgence of populism: the tyranny of the meritocracy and the resentments it produces. These are dangerous times for democracy. We live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds are stacked in favor of the already fortunate. Stalled social mobility and entrenched inequality give the lie to the American credo that "you can make it if you try". The consequence is a brew of anger and frustration that has fueled populist protest and extreme polarization, and led to deep distrust of both government and our fellow citizens--leaving us morally unprepared to face the profound challenges of our time. World-renowned philosopher Michael J. Sandel argues that to overcome the crises that are upending our world, we must rethink the attitudes toward success and failure that have accompanied globalization and rising inequality. Sandel shows the hubris a meritocracy generates among the winners and the harsh judgement it imposes on those left behind, and traces the dire consequences across a wide swathe of American life. He offers an alternative way of thinking about success--more attentive to the role of luck in human affairs, more conducive to an ethic of humility and solidarity, and more affirming of the dignity of work. The Tyranny of Merit points us toward a hopeful vision of a new politics of the common good.
Stats for nerds
13recommend
33mentions
21people
2020–2026years
61% recommend39% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I mean the oligarchy and corruption has gotten out of hand, we the people deserve our voices to be heard, instead of the people with the most money and power deciding everything.
Ai is different because it wields our languages, often more effectively than we do, this is the real danger of Ai
In terms of proposals, Michael Sandel and Daron Acemoglu have some ideas that are worthy of wider discussion.
I'm working on an essay, here is my current reference section
---
## References
#### Michael Sandel
- [The Tyranny of Merit - Book](https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313112/the-tyranny-of-merit-...)
- [Why 'Merit' Should Be Rejected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp5qsEuUOWo)
- [Democracy in Peril: Paths to Civic Renewal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi8icKc9kKw)
- [Are There Things Money Shouldn't Be Able To Buy?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMg9Gjz8PKs)
- [Who Merits to Govern Us?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0UhSo5ZNX8)
- [Does the Winner Truly Deserve Their Success?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03i_Ojbx5do)
#### Daron Acemoglu
- [What Happened To Liberal Democracy - Book](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/815318/what-happene...)
- [Building Pro-Worker Artificial Intelligence - Paper](https://www.nber.org/papers/w34854)
- [Conversations with Tyler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5O1Y-5phEU)
- [Foreign Affairs Interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3iK7j36tI4)
- [Nobel Prize 2024 Lecture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmVL30sS2yU) ([All Laureate Lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuxbYUW8R8))
- [Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4eVoOlIuis)
#### Friends Together
- [Celebrating Daron's Book](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKdfNztHq1k)
- [Daron interviews Michael](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZpINmi6C3o)
#### Bonus
- [Opus 23 - Ai does to us what American Cheese did to food](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CbmC2aWhjY)
- [The Students - What the Greeks Would Call Our Government](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205IdzGJMJs)
- [Simon Johnson - 2024 Nobel Laureate Lecture in Economics (a good history lesson)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBwuEt3DqoI)
- [Michael Young - The Rise of Meritocracy](https://archive.org/details/riseofmeritocrac0000youn)
- [EFF Thoughts on Ai Issues](https://www.eff.org/issues/ai)
- No, now that I hardly write code, I'm reading and writing more human. We'll need to speak with each other, face-to-face, not through social media or agent intermediaries - if we are to build a better future for all.
Working on an essay for this subject, here is my current reference section
---
## References
#### Michael Sandel
- [The Tyranny of Merit - Book](https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313112/the-tyranny-of-merit-...)
- [Why 'Merit' Should Be Rejected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp5qsEuUOWo)
- [Democracy in Peril: Paths to Civic Renewal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi8icKc9kKw)
- [Are There Things Money Shouldn't Be Able To Buy?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMg9Gjz8PKs)
- [Who Merits to Govern Us?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0UhSo5ZNX8)
- [Does the Winner Truly Deserve Their Success?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03i_Ojbx5do)
#### Daron Acemoglu
- [What Happened To Liberal Democracy - Book](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/815318/what-happene...)
- [Building Pro-Worker Artificial Intelligence - Paper](https://www.nber.org/papers/w34854)
- [Conversations with Tyler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5O1Y-5phEU)
- [Foreign Affairs Interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3iK7j36tI4)
- [Nobel Prize 2024 Lecture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmVL30sS2yU) ([All Laureate Lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuxbYUW8R8))
- [Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4eVoOlIuis)
#### Friends Together
- [Celebrating Daron's Book](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKdfNztHq1k)
- [Daron interviews Michael](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZpINmi6C3o)
#### Bonus
- [Opus 23 - Ai does to us what American Cheese did to food](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CbmC2aWhjY)
- [The Students - What the Greeks Would Call Our Government](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205IdzGJMJs)
- [Simon Johnson - 2024 Nobel Laureate Lecture in Economics (a good history lesson)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBwuEt3DqoI)
- [Michael Young - The Rise of Meritocracy](https://archive.org/details/riseofmeritocrac0000youn)
- [EFF Thoughts on Ai Issues](https://www.eff.org/issues/ai)
- I agree, I have not heard it put better than The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel. It goes beyond party politics to the failures of Liberal Democracy stemming from its own success.
- I'm right there with you, as are most people. Working on an essay for this subject tailored for our industry, here is my current reference section, many good ideas about how we got here and what we might do to get out.
---
## References
#### Michael Sandel
- [The Tyranny of Merit - Book](https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313112/the-tyranny-of-merit-...)
- [Why 'Merit' Should Be Rejected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp5qsEuUOWo)
- [Democracy in Peril: Paths to Civic Renewal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi8icKc9kKw)
- [Are There Things Money Shouldn't Be Able To Buy?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMg9Gjz8PKs)
- [Who Merits to Govern Us?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0UhSo5ZNX8)
- [Does the Winner Truly Deserve Their Success?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03i_Ojbx5do)
#### Daron Acemoglu
- [What Happened To Liberal Democracy - Book](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/815318/what-happene...)
- [Building Pro-Worker Artificial Intelligence - Paper](https://www.nber.org/papers/w34854)
- [Conversations with Tyler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5O1Y-5phEU)
- [Foreign Affairs Interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3iK7j36tI4)
- [Nobel Prize 2024 Lecture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmVL30sS2yU) ([All Laureate Lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuxbYUW8R8))
- [Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4eVoOlIuis)
#### Friends Together
- [Celebrating Daron's Book](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKdfNztHq1k)
- [Daron interviews Michael](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZpINmi6C3o)
#### Bonus
- [Opus 23 - Ai does to us what American Cheese did to food](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CbmC2aWhjY)
- [Sherry Turkle - Artificial Intimacy](https://www.sherryturkle.com/artificial-intimacy)
- [The Students - What the Greeks Would Call Our Government](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205IdzGJMJs)
- [Simon Johnson - 2024 Nobel Laureate Lecture in Economics (a good history lesson)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBwuEt3DqoI)
- [Michael Young - The Rise of Meritocracy](https://archive.org/details/riseofmeritocrac0000youn)
- [EFF Thoughts on Ai Issues](https://www.eff.org/issues/ai)
- > Have people completely lost their humanity? Is winning at whatever you’re doing that important we can’t be equally obligated to show each other decency?
Pretty much, I found some very helpful words and perspectives on this from Michael Sandel - Tyranny of Merit. The winners begin to think there success is their own doing, forgetting the luck, good fortune, and many people who helped them along the way. They grow arrogant and full of hubris, looking down on and belittling others.
The question is then, how do we get out of this mess? Sandel offers some interesting foundations, along with Acemoglu.
Links to brain food:
- The article on "effortocracy"[1] is pretty very well done. Quoting the end of the article:
"... if you take anything away from this, it is to recognise that if meritocracy is based on achievement only, then we must be sure not to confuse it with effortocracy when it comes to its moral weight."
Related reading: The Tyranny of Merit, by Michael Sandel (I was hoping the article would reference this, and it does.)
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