Meritocracy
A meritocracy (from Latin mereō, "to earn," and Ancient Greek κράτος, "strength, power") is a political or administrative system in which promotions are based on merit, rather than on friendship, seniority, quotas, liberal politics, or mob rule. The nature of "merit" is not easy to define,[1] but it can be said to include natural ability, past experience, education, morality and overall suitability for the position. This question has, however, often been the object of debate, especially for what concerns the importance which is to be given to academic qualifications.
References
- ↑ [Grok: Explain why Machiavelli's reference to "virtu" is often translated "merit" in English.
"The Italian word that Machiavelli uses most famously is virtù (with the accent on the ù), not the modern Italian “virtù” that means moral virtue. In Renaissance Italian (and especially in Machiavelli’s usage), virtù has a much broader, more classical, and more pragmatic meaning that does not primarily denote moral goodness. Why “virtù” ≠ moral virtue in Machiavelli
Machiavelli borrowed the term from the ancient Roman concept of virtus (Latin), which originally meant:- manliness, courage, energy, spirit
- excellence in performing one’s role (military, political, etc.)
- the ensemble of qualities that make a man effective and formidable
- ability to impose one’s will on events and on Fortune (Fortuna)
Why English translators sometimes use “merit” (or related terms)
Early English translators (especially 16th–17th century) struggled to find a single word that captured this Roman-political sense without dragging in Christian “virtue.” Common choices have been:“Merit” works reasonably well because it conveys earned excellence through performance—a leader has virtù if he has shown he merits power by his results. It avoids the Christian moral overlay of “virtue” while still suggesting superior quality.
Example (Prince, ch. 6):
Machiavelli on Moses, Cyrus, Romulus, Theseus:
“…se si considerassi la virtù di Moisè… si vedrebbe in loro o una somma virtù o una somma fortuna…”
- Modern translations: “an extraordinary virtù” (Mansfield), “exceptional ability” (Skinner), “great merit” (older ones), “supreme virtù,” etc.
Best modern practice
Most 20th- and 21st-century scholars and translators now simply leave the word as virtù (italicized) and explain it in notes or introductions, because no single English word is perfect. When they do translate it, the common choices are:
virtù (untranslated)
- prowess / ability / spirit / energy
- political effectiveness
- excellence (in the Greek aretē sense)
So the occasional translation as “merit” is an older attempt to capture the sense of proven worth or excellence in action without implying conventional morality. It is not the most common choice today, but it is defensible and reflects the practical, results-oriented core of Machiavelli’s concept."
