The idea of meritocracy — that income differences should reflect performance rather than luck or inherited privilege — can be used to justify inequality. Yet people who consider meritocracy to be fair may disagree about redistribution. Understanding these disagreements can help to reduce polarization.
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References
Sandel, M. J. The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020).
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