Meritocracy in ancient political philosophy

The concept of meritocracy arises in the early stages of the history of political philosophy and social ethics, particularly in ancient Greece and China. The subject of this article is the meritocratic ideas of Plato. These ideas are expressed in the image of Socrates. His Socrates is an ideal model for philosopher-rulers. On the other hand, he is a marginal social actor who denies social reality in Athens. The features of such a marginal-philosopher can be found in the wise men and guards, ruling Kallipolis in the «Republic», as well as in the ideal ruler in the «Statesman». This combination of the concept of aristocracy and the fundamental political marginality of Socrates is the specificity of the meritocratic ideas of Plato.