Published on Apr 19, 2026, filed under politics. (Share this post, e.g., on Mastodon or on Bluesky.)

The Cambridge Dictionary, via Wikipedia, defines an elite as “the richest, most powerful, best-educated, or best-trained group in a society.”

Now, it’s a definition, but the largely positive connotation of “elite” makes such a definition feel inadequate.

Here’s the minimum I think an elite, especially on a national and international level, would need to encompass:

• Actively support the well-being of all people, by ensuring affordable housing, healthcare, education, and quality of life
• Actively support a healthy environment, by protecting wildlife and nature, and taking effective action against manmade climate change
• Actively support the peaceful co-existence of all people on this planet, by taking decisive action to prevent and stop wars, genocides, and infractions against international law and human rights

Reclaiming “Elite”

My main problem is the discrepancy between the connotation and what national and international elites really seem to do.

I find a suitable definition also important because of the exceptionalism implied: We have a problem with all the great -isms (sexism, racism, ageism, &c., likely all going back to speciesism) and we also have a problem with structural competition (the kind built into our systems). Both suggest that one person or group, across and within species, were “better” than another.

It even seems that this categorization—which is different from a hierarchy based on experience, merit (in terms of contributions to environment or society), or intent—is close to the heart of many of our problems.

We need an elite that serves the people and the environment, and yet we don’t have a real elite yet: We have rich and influential people, we have people who do something for others and the environment, but we don’t have the overlap needed for anyone to constitute this elite.

Similar to us having to challenge what “rich” means, if “elite” doesn’t demonstrably stand for something positive, if there’s nothing to being among the richest, most powerful, best-educated, or best-trained, such an elite is arguably something negative: a liability for us all. We might not change the definition—but the connotation, we can.

About Me

I’m Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I’m an engineering lead, guerrilla philosopher, and indie publisher. I’ve worked as a technical lead and engineering manager at various companies, including Google; I’m an open-source developer and a contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG); and I write and review books for O’Reilly and Frontend Dogma.

I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also with respect to politics and philosophy. Here on meiert.com I talk about some of my experiences and perspectives. (Please share feedback—interpret charitably, keep it friendly, but do be critical.)