The hottest Meritocracy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Philosophy Topics

Yes, Affirmative Action Justifies Discrimination

Cremieux Recueil • 893 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🚌 Education Meritocracy
  1. Affirmative action often results in beneficiaries being, on average, less qualified by standard ability measures than those selected without preference, which creates measurable performance gaps.
  2. Because those gaps devalue the credentials of favored groups, it can be rational for employers or consumers to avoid or discriminate against beneficiaries to protect quality.
  3. These effects misallocate talent, strengthen credentialism, and lack solid evidence of compensating benefits, making affirmative action both practically harmful and morally questionable.

Intelligence and Social Mobility

Cremieux Recueil • 767 implied HN points • 11 Nov 25
🚌 Education Meritocracy
  1. Smart kids from poor families often do better than their parents, while less bright kids from rich families may struggle. This shows how intelligence and motivation can really change a person's social standing.
  2. A person's success and where they end up in life is often linked to their abilities and skills, rather than just where they started. Even within families, the smarter siblings tend to rise higher than their less gifted brothers and sisters.
  3. In many societies, being talented and hard-working truly pays off. While there are still some barriers to success, generally, meritocracy helps people improve their social class if they have the right skills.

Preemies, Genes, Meritocracy, and the Left

Freddie deBoer • 8694 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Meritocracy
  1. Premature birth and low birth weight can lead to significant academic challenges, affecting cognitive and academic outcomes.
  2. Acknowledging genetic influences on academic performance is controversial, but it's important to consider alongside environmental factors.
  3. Our focus on academic success and meritocracy may need to shift to value a broader range of human qualities and contributions.
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Good Schools or Good Genes?

ideassleepfuriously • 943 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🚌 Education Meritocracy
  1. Debate on grammar schools vs. comprehensives is rooted in egalitarianism vs. meritocracy.
  2. Studies show grammar schools do not significantly improve student grades or social mobility compared to comprehensives.
  3. Grammar school debate reflects underlying issues of classism and societal perceptions of education.

Is everything racist? A book recommendation

Disaffected Newsletter • 899 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. The book 'When Race Trumps Merit' by Heather MacDonald discusses how feelings about race impact various aspects of society. It argues that these emotions are hurting our institutions and relationships.
  2. MacDonald points out that classical music is currently facing challenges because of politically charged decisions. Some believe they need to change the way they operate to survive.
  3. The issues raised in the book extend beyond music to areas like medicine and science, showing how extreme views can disrupt many important fields. It's an eye-opening look at a serious problem.

Regime Change, American Style

The Redneck Intellectual by C. Bradley Thompson • 452 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
💾 History Meritocracy
  1. The American Revolution ushered in a new moral universe and a modern, liberal-capitalist society.
  2. The transition from pre-revolutionary society to a new philosophy of Enlightenment liberalism was gradual but accelerated by the American Revolution.
  3. Colonial America evolved from a status-based society to a meritocratic society following the American Revolution.

Fake White Guilt Drove Decades-Long DEI Mania

Public • 545 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. Individual responsibility is a key principle in the U.S., meaning people are accountable for their own actions rather than the actions of others.
  2. Meritocracy rewards people based on their personal effort and abilities, rather than race or background, which has been important in the fight against racism.
  3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs argue that historical injustices mean all white people should be seen as privileged, and they recommend actions that consider race instead of just focusing on individual merit.

Work sucks, I know

Philosophy bear • 436 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. Being clever doesn't guarantee a good job. Even smart people might struggle to find satisfying work.
  2. There are many reasons why people don't get the jobs they want, like luck and bad hiring practices. It's not always fair.
  3. To improve the work situation, we need to focus on making jobs better for everyone, not just competing for top positions.

A response to The Lost Generation

Theory Matters • 20 implied HN points • 26 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Meritocracy
  1. People want recognition and meaning, not just economic comfort. Many face a painful choice between a safe, mundane life and risky creative struggle, and the struggle itself can be valuable even if success never comes.
  2. We should listen to people’s frustrations instead of dismissing them, because luck, limited opportunities, and social structures often decide who gets scarce jobs. Discounting lived experience—no matter who speaks—stops us from understanding real problems.
  3. Politics and policy that focus only on utility, prestige, or short-term fairness miss the realities of human experience. Society needs more empathy and a vision that respects struggle and the desire for recognition beyond material gains.

Rolling the DEI

Heterodox STEM • 234 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. Bias is present in academia and is often not unconscious. Many feel that men struggle to gain recognition in this environment.
  2. Data suggests that award processes in universities may not truly reflect merit and can be influenced by gender and diversity initiatives.
  3. The academic focus on diversity and inclusion sometimes leads to a lack of male representation in awards, raising questions about the fairness of these systems.

“Merit-Based Science Is Effective and Fair”: How Such a Banal Idea Has Become Controversial

Heterodox STEM • 213 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24
🔬 Science Meritocracy
  1. Merit-based science has significantly improved our lives by leading to important inventions and medical advancements. It relies on rewarding talent and hard work, enabling people from various backgrounds to succeed.
  2. There is a growing concern about the influence of ideology on science, especially with movements pushing for diversity and equity. Some believe these changes hinder the scientific process and meritocracy.
  3. Despite claims of bias in science, studies suggest that many of these allegations lack strong evidence. Some researchers argue that society has made progress in creating equal opportunities in STEM fields.

Affirmative Action: A Primer, & A Finger Exercise

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 315 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. In a society with structural racism, even a good meritocratic system can unfairly advantage privileged groups and disadvantage marginalized ones.
  2. Meritocratic tests can also perpetuate structural racism, leading to unfair outcomes in job selection.
  3. Choosing the best people for a job involves considering and addressing structural racism in both access to resources and the testing process.

A History of Meritocracy

Holodoxa • 79 implied HN points • 07 May 23
💾 History Meritocracy
  1. Meritocracy is the idea of distributing social and economic advancement based on talent, skill, and effort rather than kinship or power.
  2. Adrian Wooldridge's book presents a historical defense of meritocracy, addressing its origins, modern status, and contemporary challenges.
  3. Wooldridge discusses the flaws of modern meritocracy, like the perpetuation of privilege, but believes these issues can be resolved with better meritocratic practices.

The New New Class?

Gideon's Substack • 97 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. There's been a shift in the people who hold real power in society, moving from landowners to those with skills and education, known as the meritocratic class. Now, we might be seeing the rise of a new group focused on gaining attention.
  2. Right-wing populism seems to rise from a reaction against the meritocratic upper class, attracting those who feel alienated by the success of educated elites. This new group connects more with traditional values and has different pathways to success.
  3. The way we compete for attention today has changed how success is defined, especially with social media's influence. The idea of being an 'influencer' could shape a new class, where winning attention plays a crucial role in gaining power and status.

I Can’t Believe That Free Speech, Color Blindness, and Meritocracy Became Right-Wing Issues

I Might Be Wrong • 67 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. Free speech, color blindness, and meritocracy have become associated with the right, even though they used to be core liberal values. It's surprising how politics has shifted these concepts.
  2. Many people on the left feel that America is fundamentally flawed, which can overshadow the progress that's actually been made. This mindset can lead to dismissing positive changes.
  3. Some radical left ideas don't reflect the views of the people they claim to advocate for, causing confusion and debate within the community about what true beliefs should be.

On Shifts In Status

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 03 Dec 22
🎭️ Culture Meritocracy
  1. Status in life is always changing. It's important to accept that both good times and bad times will come and go.
  2. Many people think winning or losing is permanent, but that's not true. Life is more about ups and downs than fixed positions.
  3. Understanding that status isn't always linked to worth can help us see things more clearly. Real value often comes from our experiences, not just our achievements.

Education and Privilege Laundering

Symbolic Capital(ism) • 39 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🚌 Education Meritocracy
  1. Elite education institutions, from K-12 schools to universities, primarily serve to maintain and enhance social privileges of affluent families through a complex system of privilege laundering.
  2. The emphasis on elite education can often lead to a false perception of meritocracy, where affluent students receive favorable treatment and higher grades despite not necessarily outperforming their less privileged counterparts.
  3. Scandals like 'Varsity Blues' shed light on the reality behind the illusion of merit in elite college admissions, revealing the pervasive nature of privilege laundering in the American educational system.

Can we trust aesthetics to be fair ?

On Looking • 119 implied HN points • 20 May 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Meritocracy
  1. Aesthetics in the creative industry raises questions about what defines 'good work' and who gets to decide, challenging the idea of universal beauty standards.
  2. Meritocracy and economic value in the creative industry are closely linked, but meritocracy may not always lead to fair opportunities due to structural inequalities.
  3. The association between artists and their work, as well as the concept of aesthetic meritocracy, may influence how we perceive art and artists, raising questions about fairness and identity in the industry.

Reforming the DEI Reforms

Journal of Free Black Thought • 38 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Meritocracy
  1. MEI stands for Merit, Economics, and Ingenuity, which aims to improve the hiring process by focusing on qualifications instead of identity. This approach encourages selecting candidates based on talent and capability.
  2. The original DEI framework emphasized diversity and inclusion but often led to perceived fairness issues and political agendas. MEI seeks to replace DEI with a more straightforward focus on meritocratic principles.
  3. Incorporating concepts like Economics and Ingenuity in MEI means prioritizing economically sound decisions and encouraging creativity in organizations. This could help recruit individuals who bring unique skills and perspectives.