Investigating the philosophical roots of the concept of meritocracy in Iranian government human resources management

Meritocracy, as one of the key principles in human resource management, plays a fundamental role in promoting efficiency, organizational justice, and government legitimacy. In administrative systems, especially in the Iranian public sector, understanding the philosophical roots of this concept can lead to a review of management policies and procedures. The aim of this article is to examine the philosophical and epistemological roots of the concept of meritocracy and explain its impact on the government human resource management system in Iran. Using an analytical-descriptive method, this research first examines the philosophical foundations of meritocracy in different traditions of thought, including Platonic rationalism, justice-oriented in Islamic political philosophy, and modern political philosophy (such as John Rawls and Machiavelli). Then, the impact of these foundations on the formation of policies and the system of selection and promotion of human resources in the administrative structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran is analyzed. The findings of the article show that despite the theoretical emphasis of upstream documents and laws on the principle of meritocracy, in practice, cultural, structural, and political obstacles have prevented its full realization. Finally, by presenting a philosophical-practical framework for strengthening meritocracy in government human resource management, the article emphasizes the need to redefine key concepts, institutionalize rational, justice-oriented values, and transparency in the administrative system.

کلیدواژه ها:

Meritocracy ، human resource management ، political philosophy ، government ، justice ، rationalism ، Iran