Co-hosted by Yale Club of Beijing and Yale Center Beijing. This talk is part of the 'For Humanity' Lecture Series.

Event Time

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
8:00pm - 9:00 pm | China Standard Time (CST)

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
8:00am - 9:00 am | Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Participation Format 

Registration is required to receive the ZOOM access link, which will be sent shortly to your registered email or phone number. Please enter the Zoom room 15 minutes before the starting time. Once the Zoom room reaches full capacity, latecomers will not be able to join the event. 

Registration and Fees

Registration
Please click “HERE” further below to register. Please send an email to yalecenterbeijing@yale.edu if there are any problems. 

Ticket: Free.

Participants who have paid in advance for the 'For Humanity' Lecture Series will receive a PDF copy of the book's Chapter One.

The language of the event will be English. 

The Event

On June 25, Daniel Markovits '91, JD '00, Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School, will join us to discuss his acclaimed book, The Meritocracy Trap. In this book, he argues that meritocracy—originally an axiom of American life, in which success is earned through ability and effort—has evolved into a powerful mechanism for entrenching inequality and transmitting privilege across generations.

In his talk, Markovits will examine "America’s Foundational Myth" and how it feeds inequality, dismantles the middle class, and devours the elite. By revealing the inner workings of the meritocratic system, he illuminates the first steps outward—toward a new world that restores dignity and prosperity for all.

The Speaker

Daniel Markovits '91, JD '00
Guido Calabresi Professor of Law, Yale Law School

Daniel Markovits '91, JD '00 is the Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School and the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Private Law. He publishes across disciplines—including law, philosophy, and economics—and his work has appeared in notable publications including Science, The American Economic Review, The Yale Law Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In 2021, Prospect magazine named him one of the world’s top 50 thinkers. His most recent book, The Meritocracy Trap (Penguin Press, 2019), develops a sustained attack on American meritocracy. He is also working on a new book, tentatively titled The Good Life after the Age of Growth.