Residents of any country dream that their homeland flourished, and the state power was worthy and saw the citizens of their country as deserving of respect and prosperity. Meritocracy is a government in which the most capable and worthy ones are selected for power, those that will multiply the resources of the state and improve the life of society as a whole.
What is meritocracy?
Meritocracy is an unfamiliar concept in the everyday life of an ordinary person, the term is known in philosophical, sociological and political circles. Meritocracy is "power by merit" (Latin meritus - deserved + other Greek. Κράτος - authority). The first mention of the concept is found in the essay of the German philosopher Hannah Arendt, then meritocracy as a term was strengthened in politics thanks to the British sociologist M.Jung, who wrote "The rise of meritocracy," albeit with a sarcastic shade: authorities deserve those who have a high level of intelligence.
The principles proclaimed by meritocracy:
- the social position of a person does not play an important role in the selection of candidates;
- important: gifted talents, abilities, diligence, ambition;
- free competition;
- creation of favorable conditions and initial care for people selected for power.
The phenomenon of meritocracy
The principle of meritocracy can be expressed in words: "a person deserves the society in which he is." If every person strives for perfection, realizes his abilities , then such a society will be harmonious and all "will be rewarded according to merit". The origins of the phenomenon of meritocracy are traced in ancient China, during the reign of the Zhao dynasty, based on Confucianism, which is based on the noble values and criteria that the ruling elite should have:
- honor;
- humanity;
- constant self-improvement, as a way of life and an example for their people.
Meritocracy - the pros and cons
Meritocracy is a power based largely on ethical principles. In the philosophical currents of a different direction, the positive influence of talented and spiritually inspired people on the formation of society is traced, and the emergence of culture happened because one great man in spirit, or somewhat realized the idea of God and made it into society, having made a giant breakthrough in development.
Meritocracy - the pros:
- talented leaders contribute to the development of civilization;
- prosperity of the country;
- the possibility of growth in the system: from the bottom up and gradually move up the career ladder;
- fair distribution of political values bypassing ties, heredity and "their" people for promotion;
- each person with a high level of consciousness and competence has the right to claim a politically important position.
Criticism of meritocracy is concluded in the absence of universal ways of determining the measure of abilities and merits before society. Michael Young believed that if you magnify only the intellect , then such universal values as: empathy, kindness, imagination cease to be important. The society built on the rise of intellectuals in front of people with ordinary abilities gives birth to class injustice, which has been observed in history for many centuries.
Meritocracy in the civil service
Meritocracy is a power based on personal achievements, and in a number of developed countries is the basis of modern civil service. The selection of worthy candidates is by the method of open competition, where anyone can declare himself. How the selection takes place:
- The composition of the collegium is formed of independent observers, which ensure that the conditions of the competition are met.
- Objective criteria of an estimation of work and the merits applying for this or that post are developed.
Meritocracy and aristocracy
There is an opinion that meritocracy is an aristocracy, which is fundamentally wrong. Yes, power is usually attributed to the elite, as in the aristocracy, but an important significant difference between meritocracy is that an ordinary person can come to power, which has proved its worth, unlike the aristocracy, where government and status are inherited, and merit, talents and the quality is not taken into account.