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 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