Meritocracy and the Motivation Hypothesis Why Meritocracy is an Incorrect Theory of Human Effort

Abstract

As a system for distribution and social organization, meritocracy has not reduced inequalities or increased social mobility, the things that made it appealing in the first place. Until now, it has been mostly criticized for its failure to live up to the expectation that it would be an equalizing mechanism, and critics have pointed to problems with the correct and impartial implementation of its methods. Nonetheless, this essay adds to what is known as principled critique, which opposes meritocratic systems, and addresses how meritocracy misunderstands human motivation and the relationship it has with effort. It also discusses how the empirical sequence of events does not always follow the order meritocracy requires or presupposes. The mismatch of meritocracy with the human condition and social context, which stems from its ethical rather than empirical foundations, makes it impossible for it to reduce inequality or counterbalance privilege.