"Eugenic continuities

Without wishing to downplay the totalitarian associations of eugenic science, its first proponents also imagined a more “progressive” version. They hoped it would become a kind of secular religion, or moral framework, to regulate social behaviour in liberal society.

Its most famous, and derided proponent, Francis Galton, argued that eugenics would only succeed if it became the commonsense of the age. Arguably, this is precisely what happened with the associated ideal of meritocracy.

The history of meritocracy is the story of a social ideal that became so dominant it no longer needed much institutional support. It became an ethos of personal striving, rather than a regulating idea that state interventions would be measured against.

Like Littler, I too believe that meritocracy no longer functions on a principle of fairness. It operates through the exploitation of hope, staging an aspirational drama where we are asked to negotiate our dreams against an upper limit of survivable self-delusion.

This is the kind of system that will reward someone like Young, who is distinguished not by institutionally accredited indicators of merit and suitability, but by his ability to ingratiate himself to power. Young’s much derided appointment is then, entirely symptomatic of meritocracy in its current form''.

The Conversation