IDEA OF EQUALITY

• Equality, like liberty, is a prominent political ideal in the contemporary world.
• The French Revolution (1789) was fought for the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
• Liberty and equality, together, describe the conditions for human emancipation.
• These principles represent the voice of the oppressed, stand against injustice, and advocate for changing unfair social conditions.
• In some contexts, liberty and equality are seen as complementary principles, while in others, they may seem mutually contradictory.
• Understanding the nature and essence of equality is crucial to determining its relationship with liberty and justice.
• The issue of equality and inequality has been central in political thought since ancient times.
• Aristotle noted that inequality causes rebellion in states and defined justice as “treating equals equally and unequals unequally.”
• Aristotle’s view supported maintaining existing inequalities in society, such as between master and slave, rich and poor, and morally superior and inferior.
• The modern concept of equality seeks to reduce inequalities that can be proven unjust based on prevailing social consciousness.

EQUALITY AS A STATEMENT OF RIGHT, NOT OF FACT

• The modern idea of equality is derived from the theory of rights.
• Equality is a prescriptive term, meaning it advocates for how men should be treated as equal, not that they are actually equal.
• The argument for equality is often based on human rationality and the belief that all men are endowed with reason or created equal by God.
• Another argument for equality is that physical, emotional, and intellectual needs are similar for all men, entitling them to equal rights.
• Equality does not claim all men are equal in terms of physical or mental capacities, beauty, or talents.
• The argument of common human attributes, such as the similarity of blood, is used to support equality.
• Nature does not create differences in people; for example, a drug affects everyone the same, regardless of race.
• Fundamental equality refers to the inherent equality among all human beings based on shared characteristics.
• Some argue that equality does not derive support from nature, unlike liberty, because nature creates inequalities (sun and moon, rich and poor, strong and weak, etc.).
• These arguments against equality often stem from those who wish to preserve their privileged position.
• Such critics argue that liberty enables individuals to acquire wealth, power, and prestige, while equality diminishes these achievements.
• This argument is based on a distorted concept of liberty: freedom in society must be equal freedom for all.
• Absolute liberty would result in the strong oppressing the weak; liberty must be qualified by equality.
• Equality ensures that freedom does not become license, and it must be applied across legal, political, social, and economic spheres.
• R.H. Tawney (in Equality, 1938) argued that absolute liberty is incompatible with economic, social, civil, and political equality.
• Equality does not dilute liberty but makes it more relevant and substantive.
• Equality is meant to prevent certain sections of society from acquiring unlimited wealth, power, or prestige, addressing exploitation.
• Exploitation is a form of social oppression where the stronger party takes undue advantage of the weaker party’s position.
• Liberty and equality both arise from similar logic and serve the same social purpose, aiming to ensure fairness and prevent exploitation.