The Tyranny of Merit¶
Metadata¶
- Author: [[Michael J. Sandel]]
- ASIN: B084M1W9WB
- Reference: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M1W9WB
- Kindle link
Highlights¶
Success breeds success, and those who lack the talents society rewards may find it hard to summon the motivation to strive. — location: 2275 ^ref-61650
“Even the willingness to make an effort, to try, and so to be deserving in the ordinary sense is itself dependent upon happy family and social circumstances.” — location: 2379 ^ref-20860
The assertion that a man deserves the superior character that enables him to make the effort to cultivate his abilities is equally problematic; for his character depends in large part upon fortunate family and social circumstances for which he can claim no credit. The notion of desert seems not to apply to these cases. — location: 2382 ^ref-6245
we are indebted in various ways to the community that makes our success possible and therefore obligated to contribute to its common good. — location: 2396 ^ref-37564
welfare state liberals are better at articulating the negative argument—against the individual’s sole claim to her success—than the affirmative argument—for the individual’s debt to the community. — location: 2398 ^ref-28831
certain features of free-market liberalism and welfare state liberalism open the way to meritocratic understandings of success that they officially reject? — location: 2462 ^ref-64726
Merit began its career as the empowering idea that we can, through work and faith, bend God’s grace in our favor. — location: 4168 ^ref-22341