Michael J. Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit ****

When I read Michael J. Sandel's book Justice ten years ago*, I was particularly struck by an idea that Sandel attributed to John Rawls: "differences of talent are as morally arbitrary as differences of class." It's no more fair to reward people based on their intelligence or character than it is to reward them based on their social class or family; all of it is outside of the individual's control. The Tyranny of Merit expands on this idea to explore the issues inherent in a meritocracy, even a well functioning one.

The first few chapters lay out the argument that a meritocracy inevitably leads to hubris on the part of those who succeed and resentment/humiliation on the part of those who do not. The idea that a meritocracy rewards people based on their merits is seductive, because it implies that (a) we have a great deal of control over our own success and (b) that we deserve our rewards. However, it also implies that less successful people have less merit and that their lack of success is due to personal shortcomings. For blue collar workers, the loss of social esteem is at least as problematic as falling behind financially.

Sandel notes that both "the center-left and center-right" aspire to meritocracy, differing only in their recipes for achieving it. He connects this fact with the rise in technocratic governance, in which political figures argue about logistical implementation (which can theoretically be judged objectively) rather than civic values (which cannot), and with the increased emphasis on education. The way in which we overvalue a college education and tell displaced workers to train for other jobs reminded me of James Rebank's reaction to being characterized as an underachiever in The Shepherd's Life.

The book's subtitle is "What's Become of the Common Good?" but I don't think Sandel really addresses this question. The policy prescriptions of the later chapters are much weaker than his analysis of the issues. He calls for us to have humility about the role of grace or chance in our place in society, to respect the contributions of our fellow citizens, and to revive public discussion of what constitutes success. Great suggestions all, but Sandel doesn't offer a compelling vision of how we get there.

* In recognition of how frequently I think about ideas from Justice, I hereby retroactively award that book a fifth star.