--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Intellectuals feel they are the most…" description: "\"Intellectuals feel they are the most valuable people, the ones with the highest merit, and that society should reward people in accordance with their v..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/robert-nozick-9938_capitalist_intellectuals-feel-they-are-the-most-val_417115.jpg" --- # Intellectuals feel they are the most valuable people, the… ![“Intellectuals feel they are the most valuable people, the ones with the highest merit, and that society should reward people in accordance with their value and merit. But a capitalist society does not satisfy the principle of distribution 'to each according to his merit or value.'” quote by Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/robert-nozick-9938_capitalist_intellectuals-feel-they-are-the-most-val_417115.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/robert-nozick-9938_capitalist_intellectuals-feel-they-are-the-most-val_417115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/robert-nozick-9938_capitalist_intellectuals-feel-they-are-the-most-val_417115.jpg) > “Intellectuals feel they are the most valuable people, the ones with the highest merit, and that society should reward people in accordance with their value and merit. But a capitalist society does not satisfy the principle of distribution 'to each according to his merit or value.'” [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectuals claim merit should dictate rewards, yet capitalist systems often fail to allocate resources strictly by merit. **In simple terms:** Meritocracy vs. capitalism mismatch. Key Takeaway Question the fairness of reward systems. Themes philosophy politics economics justice meritocracy Mood skeptical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - policy design - education funding - employment practices - public debate Key Concepts distribution theory social contract inequality capitalist critique Questions to Reflect On - What alternative distribution methods could better align rewards with merit? - Is merit truly measurable? A Different Perspective Capitalist markets can reward innovation and risk‑taking beyond measured merit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intellectuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectuals/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) ## Related quotes > [Many intellectuals feel themselves to be Supermen who are spokesmen for the people. But in my opinion, they're to be pitied. Under Mao's dictatorship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/many-intellectuals-feel-themselves-to-be-supermen-who-are-spokesmen/) [Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/) > [Ants can live together in solidarity and forget themselves in the community. In a normative capitalist society, everyone is an egoist. 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