In my chapters on creed and country, I’ve pointed out that we have a tendency to exaggerate the continuities of such entities over time. When it comes to class, I’m going to argue the opposite—that the continuities here are far greater than we often think. In moving toward the meritocratic ideal, we imagined that we’d moved beyond the old encrustations of inherited hierarchies. As Michael Young knew, that’s not the real story.
