A thread through the archive
Essays tagged “meritocracy”. Follow an idea across the archive.
A review of Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs covering his transformation of Singapore from third-world city-state to wealthy nation through pragmatic policies, framed as a 'rationalist power fantasy' of someone who successfully implemented sensible governance.
Scott Alexander explores various explanations for why top students attend the best colleges, including optimistic views about maximizing potential and cynical views about signaling and 'privilege laundering'.
Scott Alexander presents highlights from reader comments on his 'Bobos in Paradise' book review, covering critiques of the book's thesis, discussions on elite education, and debates on social class dynamics.
Scott reviews David Brooks' thesis on how a 1950s change in Ivy League admissions policy reshaped American elite culture and society.
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Cult of Smart' by Freddie DeBoer, praising its main arguments while criticizing several aspects, particularly DeBoer's stance on education reform.
Scott Alexander responds to comments on his review of 'The Cult of Smart', addressing criticisms and expanding on topics like charter schools, meritocracy, and education reform.
Scott Alexander revisits his 'Targeting Meritocracy' post, realizing the disagreements stemmed from different fundamental perspectives: mistake theory vs. conflict theory.
Scott Alexander writes two satirical sequels to GATTACA, critiquing discrimination based on epigenetics and educational background.
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to various criticisms of meritocracy from commenters, arguing that despite its flaws, meritocracy is preferable to alternatives like cronyism.
Scott Alexander defends true meritocracy against misguided critiques, arguing for a system based on demonstrated ability rather than educational credentials.