Meritocracy has long been an article of faith in the modern Western world. Get an education, work hard and the rewards of success will be yours, regardless of class, privilege or wealth. But recently meritocracy has come under attack, with the charge led by Michael Sandel, the Harvard philosopher whose public debates on how we define the common good have won ... Show More
Jul 16
Olivia Laing on Art, Solitude, and The Lonely City at 10 (Part One)
Olivia Laing is known as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary literature. Their work is renowned for its capacity to make abstract ideas feel precise, intimate, and beautifully thought through without ever talking down to the reader. Their books include the number o ... Show More
39m 28s
Jul 14
How Did World War II Create Modern Asia? With Professor Hans van de Ven
Is our history of World War II missing its most important chapter? For many in the West, the story of the Second World War is told through D-Day, the Blitz and the liberation of Europe. Yet some of the war's most consequential battles were fought in Asia, where the conflict claim ... Show More
34m 2s
Jul 12
An Evening with Maggie O’Farrell: Land (Part Two)
Maggie O’Farrell is the award-winning author of nine novels, including Hamnet, a breathtaking fictional retelling of the death of Shakespeare’s only son from the bubonic plague. This much-loved novel won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020, and this year the celebrated film ada ... Show More
37m 56s
Jul 2021
The Promise Of Meritocracy With Adrian Wooldridge
Does meritocracy create a better world for everyone, or does it create massive inequality? There's been a lot of debate in the last few years about meritocracy, and it's become even more pressing in light of the pandemic. If essential workers are "essential", are they really less ... Show More
44m 5s
Aug 2021
The Cost of Meritocracy With Michael Sandel
Does meritocracy create a better world for everyone, or does it create massive inequality? There's been a lot of debate in the last few years about meritocracy, and it's become even more pressing in light of the pandemic. If essential workers are "essential", are they really less ... Show More
54m 6s
Jun 2022
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 testin ... Show More
1h 22m
Feb 2023
#221 — Success, Failure, & the Common Good
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Sandel about the problem with meritocracy. They discuss the dark side of the concept of merit, the pernicious myth of the self-made man, the moral significance of luck, the backlash against “elites” and expertise, how we value human excellence, the ... Show More
26m 13s
Jun 2021
Daily: Is MERITOCRACY a myth?
When people end up in a job or position they love, was it because they worked hard in school, or did they just get lucky? Why is the idea of progressing on merit under threat? Is there a way we can modernise it for the 21st century? Should we we even try?Adrian Wooldridge, Politi ... Show More
28m 13s
Oct 2020
#221 — Success, Failure, & the Common Good
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Sandel about the problem with meritocracy . They discuss the dark side of the concept of merit, the pernicious myth of the self-made man, the moral significance of luck, the backlash against "elites" and expertise, how we value human excellence, the ... Show More
46m 48s
Sep 2020
#15 — Michael Sandel | The Tyranny of Merit
<p>Michael J. Sandel is an American political philosopher, and Professor of Government Theory at Harvard University Law School. His public lectures have been viewed by tens of millions of people around the world, including in China, where Sandel was named the "most influential fo ... Show More
54m 25s