Table of Contents
Michael Young, a political and social activist, wrote the famous novel Meritocracy. Adding to his list of activities, he also took part in academics and became a polemicist and institution-builder.
This post contains some affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission, at no additional cost to you.
Author: Michael Young
Genre: Political fiction
Pages: 190
Good reads rating: 3.74 of 5
My Rating: 7.3 of 10
Published: 1958 (Original publication)
Publisher: Penguin Books (January 30, 1962)
Language: English
For The Latest Price: The Rise of the Meritocracy
***Warning Spoilers Below This Point***
This novel is the resemblance of the future and shows how policies and political awarenesses change according to time. This novel also includes how IQ level is important in the study as it gives birth to the central board and how it works with time.
The novel revolves around the word Meritocracy, recently included in the dictionary. Michael framed it from a formula which was IQ + Effort= meritocracy.
Michael the main character of this novel portrays himself in 2034 as he wanted to show how decisions and planning of today or present can affect or remould the future which differs from situation to situation. He became famous as his family engaged in the same field for years, but this was not the reason he got the job or pulled into politics. He had a good sense of governance as he was also a social activist and a member of high-class society.
In the book’s opening, he displays the reception of his work and its production in a vivacious way. Later, the term Meritocracy reflects that part of political philosophy assigns talent and intellectual achievement of an individual. The supporters of philosophy praise and support this term because it carried no negative connotation.
Journalist and writer Paul Barker points out that irony became the dangerous freight to be carried out and mention his suggestion over the term. But the basic idea of the novel is to show the extensive change in the future as the UK has become the central tenet of the society with talent and intelligence as a part of merit. This kind of society some differentiate between merited-power holding elite and disenfranchised underclass of the less merited.
This concept somehow gives everyone to think about what is appropriate and what not to describe the entire system as a whole. The author also guides not to go on the conclusion part without giving thoughts about what is wrong and what is right about the novel as well as terms.
The novel is simply the reflection of the author who puts himself in the future to observe what kind of changes could take place if things go in its precise way. The term specified Meritocracy took literally the whole novel to explain. I rate this book 7.3 out of 10 because of the complex and detailed storyline it presents. Would I re-read this novel? Yes. Am I glad I read it? Yes.
For The Latest Price: The Rise of the Meritocracy
Submit your review | |