Jahel Queralt, essayist: ‘Those who most criticize meritocracy are those who need it the least’
The jurist and doctor in political science publishes new work that calls for restoring limits to inequalities and dismantling the morality of success
Jahel Queralt, a 43-year-old essayist and professor of political law at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, attributes her success to pure chance. Growing up in an isolated house without basic amenities, Queralt faced a dramatic shift when she arrived in academia, feeling like she had "gatecrashed a party in the wrong shoes." This transformation occurred in 2007 when she met Gerald A. Cohen, a prominent figure in analytical Marxism and mentor to her thesis at Oxford.
During a casual dinner at All Souls College, Queralt uttered the controversial phrase "You do this in Spain and you are totally fucked," which earned her the nickname "the girl who said 'fucked' in the All Souls dining hall." Queralt attributes her rise to the English language, which she learned by watching The Wire. Now, she recalls this anecdote fondly, often sharing it with her son at his public school near the Barcelona zoo.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
