What Happens When Success Becomes a Measure of Worth?

In this video, Yannic Vitz examines whether social and economic inequality can be justified by the idea that people deserve what they receive. Drawing on political philosophy and theories of meritocracy, he argues that principles such as effort and contribution cannot provide a neutral basis for rewarding people. Instead, claims about desert inevitably become judgments about personal worth. His work highlights how merit-based systems can transform economic inequalities into moral hierarchies, shaping how societies understand success, failure, and justice.