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 testing shaped educational policy, group-based judgement, and the importance of defending liberal individualism.
—Links—
Follow Dr. Wooldridge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adwooldridge
‘The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World:’ https://amazon.com/Aristocracy-Talent...
More books by Dr. Wooldridge: https://amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/...
—Chapters—
[0:00] Intro
[1:06] Reviews of ‘The Aristocracy of Talent’
[3:47] Measuring the Mind, History of IQ Testing, & British Education
[7:22] 11+ System vs. the Modern Prolonged Educational System
[10:22] Workplace Selection Tests
[11:58] IQ Literature & IQ Testing for the US Military
[14:55] Michael Young’s ‘The Rise of the Meritocracy’
[16:58] Pareto Distribution, Matthew Principle, & Creative Achievement Tests
[18:22] History of Meritocracy
[22:43] Conflating Moral Worth with Intellectual Ability
[24:25] Conceptual Inadequacy & “Bell Curve Liberals”
[29:45] Blank Slate Argument & Ethnic Differences in IQ Testing
[34:59] White Working Class in England
[37:45] Perception of Meritocracy in the UK vs. US
[42:21] Judging People as Group Members
[48:17] Distinction Between Affirmative Action & Diversity
[51:36] Idea of Meritocracy as Propaganda for the Elite
[54:00] Openness of Competition of Examinations
[56:10] Foucault & the Complexity of Perception
[59:55] Social Justice, Economic Efficiency & Growth Rates
[1:05:35] Challenges to Western Dominance
[1:10:59] European Ladder of Opportunity & Plutocracy
[1:14:32] Ethics: Levels of Analysis