Meritocracy and the policy of protective discrimination

The politics of knowledge demands that both those inside the knowledge society (upper castes and upper classes) and outside articulate their interests, fight for them, and contest each other’s claims. Those inside, argue for meritocracy; those outside, reject meritocracy. Both are taking a political position. Both are insecure. Both take the particularistic stands. Both are insensitive to universal moral considerations. None of the contesting parties really care about universal human progress. From this contradiction arises the demand for policy for protective discrimination. Since the meritocratic system cannot distribute gains of development to wider sections of society unless countered by politics of equality of outcome the policy of protective discrimination is going to gain more and more strength and even seek allegiance from newly marginalizing groups from inside the knowledge society.