Chapter Notes

Why Does Equality Matter?

Equality is a powerful moral and political ideal that has guided human societies for centuries. The core idea is that all human beings have equal worth, regardless of their colour, gender, race, or nationality. This means every person deserves equal consideration and respect simply because they are human. This shared humanity is the foundation for concepts like universal human rights.

Historically, the call for equality has been a rallying cry for major social and political changes.

• In the 18th century, French revolutionaries used the slogan 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity' to challenge the monarchy and feudal aristocracy.
• In the 20th century, anti-colonial struggles in Asia and Africa demanded equality.
• Today, groups like women and dalits continue to fight for equality against marginalisation.

These visible inequalities raise important questions:

• Are these differences a natural result of people's different talents and efforts?
• Or are they a consequence of our social rules and the positions we are born into?

Answering these questions is a central task of political theory.

What is Equality?

At its heart, equality means that all human beings should be entitled to the same respect and consideration. Treating people with equal respect, however, does not always mean treating them in an identical way.

No society treats everyone the same in all situations. For society to function, there is a division of work, and people have different statuses and rewards.

• Acceptable Differences: Giving a prime minister or an army general a special official status is not usually seen as a violation of equality, as long as these privileges are not misused.
• Unjust Inequalities: It is considered unfair if a child born in a slum is denied nutritious food or a good education. This is an inequality based on circumstance, not merit.

The key distinction is that equality is violated when people are treated differently simply because of the religion, race, caste, or gender they are born into. The ideal of equality suggests that the opportunities we enjoy and the way we are treated should not be predetermined by our birth or social circumstances.

Equality of Opportunities

The concept of equality implies that all people are entitled to the same rights and opportunities to develop their skills and talents and to pursue their goals.

While people have different talents and may achieve different levels of success, this does not automatically make a society unequal. The real injustice lies in the unequal access to basic goods that allow people to develop their potential.

Natural and Social Inequalities

Political theory sometimes distinguishes between two types of inequalities:

• Natural inequalities are those that arise from the different capabilities and talents people are born with. These are often seen as unchangeable.
• Socially-produced inequalities are created by society. They emerge from unequal opportunities or the exploitation of one group by another. For instance, a society might value intellectual work more than manual labour and reward them differently.

However, this distinction is not always clear or useful for a few reasons:

1. Social inequalities can be mistaken for natural ones. For centuries, women were called the "weaker sex" and Black people were considered less intelligent by their colonial rulers. These beliefs were used to justify denying them equal rights. Today, we understand these as distinctions created by society and power imbalances, not by nature.
2. "Natural" differences are not always unalterable. Medical science and technology now help many people with disabilities function effectively in society. Computers can assist the blind, and artificial limbs can help with physical disabilities. The famous physicist Stephen Hawking, who could hardly move or speak, made major contributions to science.

Because of these complexities, many theorists now focus on a different distinction: inequalities that arise from our choices versus those that arise from the circumstances of our birth (family, social position). It is the second type of inequality that advocates of equality aim to eliminate.

Three Dimensions of Equality

To create a more just society, we need to address three main dimensions of equality: political, social, and economic.

Political Equality

In democratic societies, political equality means granting equal citizenship to all members of the state. This includes a set of basic rights guaranteed by the constitution and laws, such as:

• The right to vote
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of movement and association
• Freedom of belief

Social Equality

Social equality goes beyond legal rights to focus on equality of opportunity. It argues that for people to truly compete on equal terms, the effects of social and economic disadvantages must be minimised.

This requires guaranteeing certain minimum conditions of life for everyone, including:

• Adequate health care
• Opportunity for good education
• Adequate nourishment
• A minimum wage

In India, social customs can also create barriers to equal opportunity. For example, some women may not have equal inheritance rights or may be discouraged from pursuing higher education. The state has a role in creating policies to prevent such discrimination, but social groups and individuals must also work to raise awareness and support those exercising their rights.

Economic Equality

Economic equality addresses the significant differences in wealth, property, or income between individuals or classes. The degree of economic inequality can be measured by looking at the gap between the richest and poorest groups or by counting the number of people living below the poverty line.

While absolute equality of wealth has likely never existed, democracies today try to provide equal opportunities so that talented and determined individuals have a chance to improve their condition.

Ideologies on Equality

Different political ideologies offer different views on how to understand and tackle inequality.

Feminism

• Feminism is a political doctrine advocating for equal rights for women and men.
• Feminists argue that the inequalities between men and women are not natural but are created by patriarchy—a social, economic, and cultural system that values men more than women and gives them power over women.
• They distinguish between sex (the biological difference) and gender (the different social roles men and women are expected to play).
• Patriarchy creates a division of labour where women are responsible for "private" domestic matters and men for "public" work. Feminists challenge this, pointing out that most women work outside the home but are still solely responsible for housework, creating a "double burden".

Marxism and Socialism

• Marxism, based on the ideas of the 19th-century thinker Karl Marx, argues that the root cause of entrenched inequality is the private ownership of important economic resources (like land, oil, or forests).
• This private ownership gives the wealthy class not just money but also political power, allowing them to influence laws and policies.
• Marxists and socialists believe that economic inequality supports other forms of social inequality. To achieve true equality, society must go beyond just providing equal opportunities and ensure public control over essential resources.
• Socialism is a set of political ideas focused on minimising inequality and distributing resources justly. Socialists often favour government regulation, planning, and control over key areas like education and health care.
• The Indian socialist thinker Rammanohar Lohia argued for fighting five kinds of inequality simultaneously: between man and woman, based on skin colour, caste-based, colonial rule, and economic. He called this struggle the Sapta Kranti (Seven Revolutions), adding civil liberties and non-violence to his list.

Liberalism

• Liberals believe that competition in free and fair conditions is the most just and efficient way to distribute resources and rewards in society.
• They agree that the state should ensure a minimum standard of living and equal opportunities for all.
• For liberals, as long as competition is open and fair, inequalities are unlikely to become entrenched, and people will be rewarded based on their talent and effort.
• They see competition as the fairest way to select candidates for jobs or university admissions.

How Can We Promote Equality?

Achieving equality requires a combination of formal rules and proactive policies.

Establishing Formal Equality

The first step is to end formal systems of inequality and privilege that are protected by laws and customs. This includes things like:

• The caste system in India, which restricted 'lower' castes to manual labour.
• Laws that denied women or the poor the right to vote.
• Systems where only people from certain families could hold high positions.

Our Constitution takes this step by prohibiting discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth and by abolishing the practice of untouchability.

Equality Through Differential Treatment

Formal equality, or equality before the law, is necessary but not always sufficient. Sometimes, it is necessary to treat people differently to ensure they can enjoy equal rights. This is known as differential treatment.

• Providing special ramps in public buildings for people with disabilities gives them an equal chance to enter those buildings.
• Giving women working in night-time call centres special protection during their commute protects their equal right to work.

These measures are not violations of equality; they are enhancements of it, designed to create a level playing field.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action refers to positive measures taken to correct the cumulative effects of past discrimination and inequality. It is based on the idea that formal equality is not enough to help groups that have been deeply disadvantaged for a long time.

Forms of affirmative action include:

• Preferential spending on facilities for disadvantaged communities (e.g., scholarships, hostels).
• Special consideration for admissions to educational institutions and jobs.
• In India, this policy is implemented through quotas or reserved seats for deprived groups.

This policy is highly debated:

• Arguments for: Supporters say it is a necessary, temporary measure to help communities who have suffered from past exclusion. It gives them special protection so they can eventually compete on equal terms, creating a more just society.
• Arguments against: Critics argue that it is a form of reverse discrimination that is unfair to other sections of society. They claim it violates the principle of equal treatment and can reinforce the very caste and racial prejudices it aims to eliminate.

The debate highlights the need for fair competition. A student whose parents and ancestors were illiterate (a first-generation learner) faces different challenges than one from an educated family. To promote equality, the state must devise social policies that give such individuals a fair chance to compete.