Ethics and Psychology: The Meritocracy Thesis Psychology at the Cutting Edge: An invited article Ethics and Psychology: The Meritocracy Thesis James R. Flynn, University of Otago If we take for granted as common knowledge that a just and well-ordered a real-word scenario. To rank everyone society is impossible, then the quality and tone of those discussions will by genes for talent, a competition must be such that all actors are motivated to reflect that knowledge. (John Rawls, speaking to Joshua Cohen, 1995) the maximum degree and compete on oral philosophy and psychology a self-perpetuating genetic dump, too an equal footing Msuffer if pursued in isolation from stupid to be of use in the modern word, Imagine a boarding school at which one another. I read brain physiology an underclass underemployed, criminal, all cash must be earned by how well when I try to clarify the concept of free and prone to drugs and illegitimacy. you do in the annual cross-country will, Jensen missed the implications race. Everyone gets an equal chance; of his work for blacks because he all are provided with the same excellent In fact, the trends so confidently misunderstood the fact/value dichotomy, coaching, health care, diet, and so forth. predicted do not seem to be occurring. and every utopia makes assumptions But the stakes are high: if you win, you In America, Flynn (2000) found that the about “human nature”. Perhaps the best get cash enough to meet all your needs historic value (from 1932 on) for the way to demonstrate interdependence with ample pocket money left over. If mean IQ of the children of the lower is to choose an example from moral you are last, you starve unless your third of parents (on the occupational debate. What with the sound and fury classmates are willing to sustain you by hierarchy) has remained stable at of race, critics of the Bell Curve (1994) private charity. 95. Strenze (2007) summarizes four ignored its main challenge, perhaps recent studies. He also observes that I have little doubt that all would because it was too hope-destructive to America seems static and if anything, the train and try for the annual race to their face. I refer to the meritocracy thesis. association between IQ and occupational utmost and that the results would rank That thesis does nothing less than status in England has been declining. everyone pretty well for their genes contend that humane-egalitarian ideals for distance running ability. However, self-destruct in practice. But there is cold comfort in this. note why its draconian sanctions are The rebuttal will be that this just shows necessary. The system creates enormous Abandon all hope how little the liberal left has done to tension between what society forces you equalize environments. We would The meritocracy thesis: (1) to do and what you ideally want to do. have to pray for eternal failure: every Assume we make progress toward Those who prefer chess, or the literary success would be a step along a road, not the equalization of environments -- to magazine, or even other sports, will have toward a society we admire, but toward the degree that occurs, all remaining to sacrifice these to hours and hours of one we would loathe. Whatever ideal talent differences between people training for something many of them the thousands that laid down their lives will be due to differences in genes for loathe. The school is really a bastard for social reform or the defense of the talent; (2) Assume we make progress meritocracy because of all the human republic may have had, it was not this: toward abolition of privilege -- to excellences it sacrifices on the altar of a class system frozen into a caste system the degree that occurs, there will be its competitive ideal. by genes for merit highly correlated with a social mobility that brings all of social status. Let us chip away at the sanctions a the good genes to the top and allows bit. The stakes of the race are altered all bad genes to sink to the bottom; so that everyone gets the quality of The degeneration of the (3) Therefore, the upper classes will environment from year to year needed school race become a genetic elite whose children Note: The title for this article is adapted with permission from: inherit their status because of superior The meritocracy model is under- James R. Flynn, Where have all the liberals gone: race, class, and ideals in America. Cambridge University Press (2008) merit, while the lower classes become identified, that is, it is not grounded in New Zealand Journal of Psychology Vol. 38, No. 3, 2009 • 6 • James R. Flynn to maximize performance. After all, with a non-demoralized home, good diet, The degree to which people will should the bad performance of a single good health, good education. The notion settle for Carthage rather than Athens year doom you to failure the following that a meritocracy of any sort could lead will fluctuate with their psychology year? So now we have a welfare state to an underclass is absurd, unless the and the economy. If most people live that gives everyone the coaching, food, "meritocracy" is to be a shooting star in poverty, they will readily compromise lodging, medical care, they need to that persists for one generation. what they really want to do. They compete on an equal footing. All that will also have little use for justice as is now at sake is whether you get ample The existential tension fairness. In a third world country, you or no pocket money. Even this might How a people deal with the tension treasure any privileged position that be enough to sustain near maximum created by the mismatch between what you can get and maximize its benefits training and effort. But now assume others are willing to pay you to do and for your family by way of "corruption". you can get some, though much less, what would realize your own unique Even after a society has its first taste of pocket money by excelling in other potential is the measure of the worth affluence (practically no pocket money activities more to the taste of many: of their society. Aristotle compared up to now), for a generation or two, chess, algebra, the school paper, the Athens and Carthage, partially no doubt most may well seek to maximize their poetry society, shop, other sports. Few as ideal types. Athens was a true polis spending power. will now do the full Lydiard schedule of with a cherished way of life, rich in running 100 miles per week. its variety of amusements, ceremony, The true meritocracy Moreover, every individual sport, philosophy, art, theater, and truth After awhile people become who does not lowers the quality of seeking, united by the kind of fellow accustomed to affluence. Then, unless performance needed to equal the average feeling so that any citizen's inability to you are a sick society infected by time in the race. And when that happens, participate in that way of life was an materialism, the money intoxication some will find they can do pretty well affront to all. Many tried to walk their wears off and the school race will be by training only a few miles a week, own path despite a mismatch between modified in the direction of a better which will further lower the average that and what the market rewarded society. Most people will be happy with performance, which will further lower (Socrates for one). a decent income, and allocate time to the training you need to do to be average, Carthage was a commercial pursue those interests, whether history in a downward spiral. The school race society (Kipling called it a sort of God- or philosophy, or arts and crafts, or sport, has degenerated in the sense that it no forsaken African Manchester) where whatever they feel brings out the best longer ranks people very well even for the mismatch was minimized by money in them. They will want a welfare state genes for running ability. love. People were socialized not to that gives all a decent life irrespective want to do anything that the market of "merit". They will prefer a job that Some lessons did not reward. They enjoyed the art, maximizes overlap with what you want (1) Competition for money must theatre, and so forth that they did not to do rather than a job that maximizes include a robust welfare state or it is not produce by being mere spectators, or income. Not bad from a humane- fair; (2) Money rewards create a tension consumers who bought it as a product. egalitarian point of view! between what society wants and what Their social glue was so weak that their If the intoxication with money I want to do to realize my own chosen navy once went on strike for higher never wears off, this does not show that excellence; (3) Unless the penalties wages when faced by an enemy fleet humane ideals are counter-productive for not acceding to what society wants bent on invasion. Like all money and in practice. It means that something at are draconian (and they cannot be if status obsessed peoples, the successful their very core has been omitted: you do the competition is to be fair), it will fall were not much interested in having not sell your soul for money. In other short of a even a bastard meritocracy. money taken out of their pockets so the words, if Carthaginians get a bastard It will not achieve a perfect ranking of children of the less successful could meritocracy, they deserve nothing genes even for the talents it rewards.