265. Meritocracy or Else | Dr. Adrian Wooldridge

Dr. Adrian Wooldridge is a political editor at The Economist and author of the new book ‘The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World.’

In this episode, Dr. Wooldridge and I discuss how his new book has been received, the history of meritocracy, how IQ testing shaped educational policy, group-based judgement, and the importance of defending liberal individualism.

—Links— Follow Dr. Wooldridge on Twitter: ​​https://twitter.com/adwooldridge ‘The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World:’ https://amazon.com/Aristocracy-Talent... More books by Dr. Wooldridge: https://amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/...

—Chapters— [0:00] Intro [1:06] Reviews of ‘The Aristocracy of Talent’ [3:47] Measuring the Mind, History of IQ Testing, & British Education [7:22] 11+ System vs. the Modern Prolonged Educational System [10:22] Workplace Selection Tests [11:58] IQ Literature & IQ Testing for the US Military [14:55] Michael Young’s ‘The Rise of the Meritocracy’ [16:58] Pareto Distribution, Matthew Principle, & Creative Achievement Tests [18:22] History of Meritocracy [22:43] Conflating Moral Worth with Intellectual Ability [24:25] Conceptual Inadequacy & “Bell Curve Liberals” [29:45] Blank Slate Argument & Ethnic Differences in IQ Testing [34:59] White Working Class in England [37:45] Perception of Meritocracy in the UK vs. US [42:21] Judging People as Group Members [48:17] Distinction Between Affirmative Action & Diversity [51:36] Idea of Meritocracy as Propaganda for the Elite [54:00] Openness of Competition of Examinations [56:10] Foucault & the Complexity of Perception [59:55] Social Justice, Economic Efficiency & Growth Rates [1:05:35] Challenges to Western Dominance [1:10:59] European Ladder of Opportunity & Plutocracy [1:14:32] Ethics: Levels of Analysis

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