--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This argument has been codified in the…" description: "\"This argument has been codified in the twentieth century as meritocracy, in which those on top in the process of capitalist accumulation have merited t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg" --- # This argument has been codified in the twentieth century… ![“This argument has been codified in the twentieth century as meritocracy, in which those on top in the process of capitalist accumulation have merited their position.” quote by Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg) > “This argument has been codified in the twentieth century as meritocracy, in which those on top in the process of capitalist accumulation have merited their position.” [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meritocracy masks structural advantage, rewarding those already privileged in capitalism. **In simple terms:** Meritocracy hides inequality. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden privileges. Themes inequality capitalism meritocracy power structure Mood critical analytical Type sociological political When to use this quote - Workplace promotion - education admissions - policy debates - social mobility Key Concepts Social stratification economic theory critical theory Questions to Reflect On - How does meritocracy reinforce existing hierarchies? - What alternatives exist to assess fairness? A Different Perspective Assumes equal opportunity, ignoring systemic bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accumulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accumulation/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Meritocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meritocracy/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Twentieth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twentieth-century/) ## Related quotes > [“Whereas during the primitive stage of capitalist accumulation “political economy considers the proletarian only as a worker,” who only needs to be allotted the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-debord/whereas-during-the-primitive-stage-of-capitalist-accumulation/) [Guy Debord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-debord/) > [What is different in capitalist civilization has been two things. First, the process of meritocracy has been proclaimed as an official virtue instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/what-is-different-in-capitalist-civilization-has-been-two-things/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Scientific culture created a framework within which individual mobility was possible without threatening hierarchical work-force allocation. On the contrary, meritocracy reinforced hierarchy. Finally, meritocracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/scientific-culture-created-a-framework-within-which-individual/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [What distinguishes the historical social system we are calling historical capitalism is that in this historical system capital came to be used (invested) in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/what-distinguishes-the-historical-social-system-we-are-calling/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The way in which these two practices contain each other is that it has always been possible to use the one against the other:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-way-in-which-these-two-practices-contain-each-other-is-that-it/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [This is a steady, ceaseless process, impossible to contain as long as the economy driven by the endless accumulation of capital. The system may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/this-is-a-steady-ceaseless-process-impossible-to-contain-as-long-as/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The first and probably most fundamental aspect of this crisis is that we are now close to the commodification of everything. That is, historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-first-and-probably-most-fundamental-aspect-of-this-crisis-is-that/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The concept that one ought to restrict one's political involvement to one's own state was deeply antithetical to those who were pursuing the accumulation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-concept-that-one-ought-to-restrict-one-s-political-involvement-to/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [People don't believe this, but Hollywood really is a meritocracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/people-don-t-believe-this-but-hollywood-really-is-a-meritocracy/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [“Keeping people in jobs they are not suited for is terrible for them because it allows them to live in a false reality while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/keeping-people-in-jobs-they-are-not-suited-for-is-terrible-for-them/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Is class snobbery a social reality in the United States? Absolutely, and the kind that's codified by meritocracy is probably more toxic than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/is-class-snobbery-a-social-reality-in-the-united-states-absolutely/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [The world is not a meritocracy, as much as we may like to pretend that it is. And we have a long way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-world-is-not-a-meritocracy-as-much-as-we-may-like-to-pretend-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/as-democracy-is-perfected-the-office-of-president-represents-more-and/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [Stand-up comedy in the end, unlike the rest of the entertainment industry, is a meritocracy. There's a certain level of undeniability you can work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/stand-up-comedy-in-the-end-unlike-the-rest-of-the-entertainment/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) ## More by Immanuel Wallerstein > [“La science sociale di XIXe siecle nous a legue un terrible heritage, l'idee que els processus se divisent en trois champs separes: le politique,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/la-science-sociale-di-xixe-siecle-nous-a-legue-un-terrible-heritage-l/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Uncertainty is wondrous, and.. certainty, were it to be real, would be moral death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/uncertainty-is-wondrous-and-certainty-were-it-to-be-real-would-be/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [A second variety concentrated on presumed major transformations of the capitalist system as of some recent point in time, in which the whole earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/a-second-variety-concentrated-on-presumed-major-transformations-of/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [I am suggesting that there is, and always has been, a rather high correlation between ethnicity and occupation/economic role throughout the various time-space zones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/i-am-suggesting-that-there-is-and-always-has-been-a-rather-high/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The concept that one ought to restrict one's political involvement to one's own state was deeply antithetical to those who were pursuing the accumulation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-concept-that-one-ought-to-restrict-one-s-political-involvement-to/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [One by one, these governments came undone, and were forced into IMF tutelage (and national illegitimacy) by the careening oil prices, the debt imbroglio,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/one-by-one-these-governments-came-undone-and-were-forced-into-imf/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The language of intrinsic human rights represented a significant advance beyond the previous language of world religions in terms of its universal applicability and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-language-of-intrinsic-human-rights-represented-a-significant/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Wars between states and people seem to have existed under all historical systems for as long as we have some recorded evidence. War is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/wars-between-states-and-people-seem-to-have-existed-under-all/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Production for sale in a market in which the object is to realize the maximum profit is the essential feature of a capitalist world-economy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/production-for-sale-in-a-market-in-which-the-object-is-to-realize-the/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [We seem to be in the midst of a process of cascading bifurcations that may last some 50 more years. We can be sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/we-seem-to-be-in-the-midst-of-a-process-of-cascading-bifurcations/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Scientific culture created a framework within which individual mobility was possible without threatening hierarchical work-force allocation. On the contrary, meritocracy reinforced hierarchy. Finally, meritocracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/scientific-culture-created-a-framework-within-which-individual/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [It is not surprising that liberals believed in progress. The idea of progress justified the entire transition from feudalism to capitalism. It legitimated the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/it-is-not-surprising-that-liberals-believed-in-progress-the-idea-of/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The very concept of universal formal education is a product (and a relatively late product) of the capitalist world-economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-very-concept-of-universal-formal-education-is-a-product-and-a/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [What is different in capitalist civilization has been two things. First, the process of meritocracy has been proclaimed as an official virtue instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/what-is-different-in-capitalist-civilization-has-been-two-things/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Finally, states have monopolized, or sought to monopolize, armed force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/finally-states-have-monopolized-or-sought-to-monopolize-armed-force/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) [Explore all 60 Immanuel Wallerstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) ## More Accumulation quotes > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/) [Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-accumulation-of-all-powers-legislative-executive-and-judiciary-in/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I think that only daring speculation can lead us further and not accumulation of facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-think-that-only-daring-speculation-can-lead-us-further-and-not/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Karma is often wrongly confused with the notion of a fixed destiny. It is more like an accumulation of tendencies that can lock us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/karma-is-often-wrongly-confused-with-the-notion-of-a-fixed-destiny-it/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [There has been, for some reason (or more likely an unfortunate accumulation of reasons) a trend over the past several decades for parents to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/there-has-been-for-some-reason-or-more-likely-an-unfortunate/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [Ageing is, simply and clearly, the accumulation of damage in the body. That's all that ageing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/ageing-is-simply-and-clearly-the-accumulation-of-damage-in-the-body/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) > [For me, personally, there is one really interesting thing. You're all a bit too young for that, but when you get to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/for-me-personally-there-is-one-really-interesting-thing-you-re-all-a/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) > [The mounting burden of taxation not only undermines individual incentives to increased work and earnings, but in a score of ways discourages capital accumulation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-mounting-burden-of-taxation-not-only-undermines-individual/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals. We shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/when-the-accumulation-of-wealth-is-no-longer-of-high-social/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [The native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity. They forget, perhaps, that his religion forbade the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-alexander-eastman/the-native-american-has-been-generally-despised-by-his-white/) [Charles Alexander Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-alexander-eastman/) > [The soul lives forever by giving, not receiving. This is the grand paradox. You get most by giving most. Conversely, by receiving much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-johnson/the-soul-lives-forever-by-giving-not-receiving-this-is-the-grand/) [Julian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-johnson/) > [Forgiveness of the present is even more important than forgiveness of the past. If you forgive every moment - allow it to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/forgiveness-of-the-present-is-even-more-important-than-forgiveness-of/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/too-much-and-too-long-we-seem-to-have-surrendered-community/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) [Browse all 412 Accumulation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accumulation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This argument has been codified in the twentieth century as meritocracy, in which those on top in the process of capitalist accumulation have merited their position.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Immanuel Wallerstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-twentieth-century-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accumulation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-twentieth-century-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_accumulation_this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-t_2638688.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This argument has been codified in the twentieth century as meritocracy, in which those on top in the…” — Immanuel Wallerstein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Immanuel Wallerstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This argument has been codified in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-twentieth-century-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/this-argument-has-been-codified-in-the-twentieth-century-as/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```