JAN 030 - Meritocracy, Education, and Philosophy

The course will examine the relation of “merit” to our understanding and practice of education, politics and economics in contemporary America.  If we are, or aspire to be, a meritocracy, is a meritocracy just?  What is the relation between “merit” and “equality?”  How are both related to the “common good?”  These philosophical questions may seem abstract, but they shed light on the concrete political and economic tensions in our society between those who have graduated from college and those who have not.  Guess which group are the economic “winners” in our society?  Guess which group more likely voted for Trump?  Is this distribution of income and prestige based upon educational achievement “fair?”  Two recent works examine these questions The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel, and The Cult of Smart by Fredrik de Boer.  Yet, to fully grasp the larger questions at stake we must go back to the Bible, and the philosophical arguments of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Rousseau and Hegel.  To examine the question of merit, particularly in regard to education, is to indirectly examine the nature of being human, and to directly examine our assumptions about justice.

Instructor(s): Patrick Downey
Email:  pdowney@stmarys-ca.edu
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites:  None
Course Fee:  10
 

Credits: 1