The Ethics of Meritocratic Competition

In this chapter we examine the preference-shaping power of meritocratic competition. On the centenary of Frank Knight’s influential thesis that systems of competitive selection can cause pervasive shifts in our values, we use recent advances in behavioural economics and psychology to develop this philosophical assertion into a more structured critique of meritocratic institutions. Drawing on Knight’s insights on the social context-dependence of preferences, we recommend that the use of meritocratic selection be subjected to public, iterative analysis that takes advantage of the norms of deliberative democracy. Meritocracy has notable strengths, including its emphasis on the priority of equality of opportunity and its direction of social activities towards efficiency. But even at its best, it can exercise a subtle and domineering effect on our values and our perceptions if it is applied excessively. In understanding where competitive norms can be deployed to positive effect, and where they might do more harm than good, we better equip ourselves to determine meritocracy’s proper boundaries.