ABSTRACT
A key organizing principle of expertise in the contemporary expert society is the principle of meritocracy. The meritocratic ideal is defi ned by Farber & Sherry (1995) as
positions in society should be based on the abilities and achievements of the individual rather than on characteristics such as family background, race, religion, or wealth. This ideal requires that merit be objective in the sense of being definable without reference to those personal characteristics.
