The Mirage of Meritocracy and the Morality of Grace

Abstract

The American dream was initially conceived as a broad aspiration. In its original formulation by James Truslow Adams, it was not about material acquisition or status seeking but a belief that every person could, and should, achieve their human potential. Specifically, Adams saw the American dream as a historical challenge to European reality. In the century since the term was coined, the American dream has taken on other connotations, of course, many of them relating to materialism and social status rather than just to an improvement in the human condition. The classic narrative of the American dream is that of the immigrant who comes to the United States penniless and achieves middle-class prosperity—if not for themselves, then for their children. The American dream has been so successful as a symbol of hope and virtue that other societies have embraced its language, if not its principles.