In our age of polarisation, merit is one of the few principles on which all politicians agree. Surely society ought to reward success earned through talent and hard work? Yet, as Michael Sandel’s brilliant book shows, our meritocratic system contains the seeds of tyranny—the unjust rule of “winners” over “losers” that diminishes the mutual obligations on which democracy depends.
This review by Adrian Pabst appeared in Prospect Magazine on 1st September 2020.
The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael Sandel (Allen Lane, £20)