Meritocracy and its Critics (Teaching Fellow, Faculty of Arts and Sciences)

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2022

Suppose a society achieved truly equal opportunity, so that everyone could rise as far as their effort and talent would take them. Would this be a just society? Would those on top deserve their success? Should social roles, honors, and rewards be allocated according to merit? If so, how should merit be defined? To what extent is American society a meritocracy? Do universities promote opportunity or reproduce privilege? The course will explore these and other questions related to equality, mobility, and the American dream.

Taught with Michael Sandel (Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government Theory)