000			01661nam a22001577a 4500
999			_c526470 _d526470
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100			_aZhang, Tong _953386
245			_aThe illusion of meritocracy
260			_aSocial Science Information
300			_a63(1), Mar, 2024: p.114-128
520			_aMeritocracy claims to reward the meritorious with more resources, thereby achieving social efficiency and justice in a level playground. This article argues that the rise of meritocracy in a society is the institutional consequence of adopting progressive humanism, an ideal-type worldview that advocates the harmonious co-realization of individual achievement and social contribution. However, meritocracy is a self-defeating illusion because, even in a level playground, it only rewards conspicuous and wasteful display of ‘merit’ rather than genuine contributions to society. Similar to the promise of an afterlife to Catholicism, the illusion of meritocracy constitutes an indispensable theodicy to progressive humanism. For societies holding such worldviews, meritocracy is a necessary illusion that cannot be dispelled by institutional reforms or political movements.- Reproduced https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/05390184241230406
650			_aMeritocracy, Social efficiency, Justice, Progressive humanism, Individual achievement, Social contribution, Self-defeating illusion, Conspicuous merit, Genuine contributions, Theodicy, Catholicism, Institutional consequence, Political movements, Necessary illusion, Institutional reforms. _953387
773			_aSocial Science Information
906			_aMERITOCRACY
942			_cAR