Overthink9 Dec 2025

Meritocracy

We've all been sold the ideal of meritocracy. The American dream, our education system, and our politics are all based on it. But what if meritocracy is actually impossible--and based on a misunderstanding of how society works? In episode 151 of Overthink, Ellie and David put meritocracy in the spotlight. They think through the inherent inequality of meritocracy, its tendency to skew toward conservatism, and what Trump’s attacks on DEI reveal about how society favors merit. How does meritocracy create vertical social distance between those in power and the working class? And is meritocracy even a worthwhile ideal? In the Substack bonus segment, your hosts get into the role that merit plays in Christian theology and the promise of heaven.

Works Discussed:

Christopher Hayes, Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy

Judith Lichtenberg and David Luban, “The Merits of Merit”

Michael Young, The Rise of the Meritocracy

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