Secret History #7: Death by Meritocracy

We like to believe that a meritocracy is the best way to pick society's winners and losers. In this Friday, September 12, 2005 lecture to his Beijing high school students Professor Jiang argues that the meritocracy is destroying America.

He argues that Harvard created the meritocracy for its own benefit. Harvard's endowment has skyrocketed at the expense of American democracy, social mobility, and political unity.

Notes and References:

1. Read this Nature article on how the Ivy League controls elite production:

2. In his book "The ChosenThe Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton," Jerome Karabel presents a compelling case that America's elite institutions are only concerned with consolidating and expanding their power as gatekeepers

3. In his book "Excellent SheepThe Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life," William Deresiewicz explains how deeply antiintellectual the Ivy League has become

4. In this Atlantic Monthly article "The Organization Kid," David Brooks argues that elite institutions prepare students for a successful life devoid of purpose and meaning