16. 10. 2024

This episode of The IR thinker explores political meritocracy and meritocratic democracy with Assistant Professor Elena Ziliotti, examining how ideas drawn from Confucian and Western political theories can inform debates on leadership selection, voter competence and democratic equality. The conversation considers the claimed epistemic advantages of meritocratic arrangements, their vulnerabilities to manipulation and elitism, and the prospects for combining meritocratic insights with democratic institutions in diverse political contexts.

Elena Ziliotti

Elena Ziliotti is a tenured Assistant Professor of Ethics and Political Philosophy at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on political meritocracy, Confucian and liberal democratic thought, and the normative assessment of institutional designs that aim to promote good governance and public spirited leadership.

Publications:

Meritocratic Democracy: A Cross-Cultural Political Theory

Breaking the Mold: Normative Hybridity as the Key to Contemporary “Non-Western” Political Theorizing

An epistemic case for confucian democracy

Questions for Hierarchical Confucianism

Political meritocracy and the troubles of Western democracies

Content

00:00 - Introduction
01:51 - Meritocratic Democracy vs. Traditional Governance
05:51 - East vs. West: Understanding Meritocracy
07:17 - Epistemic Superiority of Democratic Rule
10:04 - Defining Public-Spirited Political Leaders
14:09 - Addressing Voter Manipulation Concerns
19:12 - Weaknesses of Political Meritocracy: A Confucian View
25:15 - Political Parties in a Cross-Cultural Context
27:53 - Democratic Institutions vs. Meritocratic Governance
31:55 - The Role of Partisan Juries in Candidate Selection
39:00 - Balancing Meritocracy and Democratic Equality
40:44 - Singapore and China
45:17 - Benefits of Confucian Insights for Western Democracy
49:35 - Bridging Western and Confucian Political Theories
52:26 - Influence of Eastern and Western Thought on Elena’s Research
55:26 - Goals for Meritocratic Democracy in Diverse Contexts