Equality Class 11 Political Science

Why does Equality Matter?

• The ideal of equality has been a significant moral and political force, inspiring human society for many centuries.
• As a political concept, equality upholds the notion that every individual possesses equal worth, regardless of their gender, race, colour, or nationality.

• It asserts that human beings merit equal consideration and regard, owing to their shared humanity.
• Nowadays, the principle of equality is widely acknowledged, and is enshrined in the constitutions and laws of numerous countries.
• However, the prevalence of inequality, rather than equality, is conspicuous both globally and domestically. We observe slums coexisting alongside luxurious housing in our own society.

Paradox

• One of the greatest paradoxes of our time is that while the ideal of equality is widely accepted, inequality is still prevalent in almost all aspects of life.
• Despite the recognition of the inherent worth and dignity of every human being, inequality still persists in various forms such as unequal distribution of wealth, limited opportunities, discriminatory work practices, and unequal distribution of power.
• This paradox highlights the challenges that society faces in realizing the ideal of equality and calls for a deeper understanding of the complex interplay of social, economic, and political factors that perpetuate inequality.
• Efforts to address this paradox must involve a comprehensive approach that takes into account the multifaceted nature of inequality, and seeks to create a society that promotes fairness, justice, and equal opportunities for all.

What is Equality?

• Treating people with equal respect does not necessarily mean treating them in an identical manner.
• No society treats all of its members equally under every circumstance.
• A smoothly functioning society requires the division of labor and functions, and individuals often have different statuses and rewards because of it.
• At times, these differences in treatment may seem acceptable or even necessary. For instance, providing prime ministers or army generals with a special official rank and status is typically seen as compatible with the notion of equality, as long as their privileges are not abused.

Which distinctions and differences are acceptable and which are not?

• It is considered an unacceptable form of inequality when people are treated differently simply because of their religion, race, caste, or gender.
• People may have varying ambitions and goals, and not all will be equally successful.
• The commitment to the ideal of equality does not entail the elimination of all differences.
• It simply implies that the treatment we receive and the opportunities we have must not be predetermined by birth or social circumstances.

Equality of Opportunities

• The concept of equality suggests that all people, as human beings, have the same rights and opportunities to develop their skills and talents and to pursue their goals and aspirations.
• People have different talents and skills, resulting in some being more successful in their chosen careers than others.
• It is not the lack of equality of status, wealth, or privilege that is significant but the inequalities in people's access to basic goods such as education, healthcare, and safe housing, that create an unjust and unequal society.

Natural and Social Inequalities

Natural Inequalities

• Natural inequalities arise between individuals due to their diverse capabilities and talents.
• These inequalities are distinct from socially produced inequalities, which emerge due to inequalities of opportunity or exploitation of some groups in society by others.
• These inequalities are considered the result of the different characteristics and abilities with which people are born.

Social Inequalities

• These inequalities are created by society.
• Certain societies may value those who perform intellectual work more highly than those who perform manual labor and reward them differently.
• Societies may treat people differently based on their race, color, gender, or caste.
• These differences reflect the values of a society, and some may be viewed as unjust.

Other Problems

• This distinction is sometimes useful in distinguishing between acceptable and unjust inequalities in society, but it is not always clear or self-evident.
• When certain inequalities in the treatment of people have persisted for a long time, they may appear justifiable because they are based on natural inequalities, that is, characteristics that people are born with and cannot easily change.
• For instance, women were once described as the weaker sex, considered timid and less intelligent than men, and believed to require special protection. Therefore, it was thought that denying women equal rights could be justified.
• Another issue with the idea of natural differences is that some differences that could be considered natural may no longer be regarded as unalterable.
• For instance, advances in medical science and technology have aided many individuals with disabilities to function effectively in society. Today, computers can assist visually impaired individuals, wheelchairs and artificial limbs can aid those with physical disabilities, and cosmetic surgery can alter a person's appearance. It would seem unjust to most people today if disabled individuals were denied necessary help to overcome the effects of their disability or a fair reward for their work on the grounds that they are naturally less capable.
• These complexities make it difficult to use the natural/socially-produced distinction as a standard by which to assess the laws and policies of a society.

Three Dimensions of Equality

Various thinkers and ideologies have identified three main dimensions of equality: political, social, and economic while recognizing different kinds of inequalities that exist in society.

• Political Equality: In democratic societies, political equality grants equal citizenship to all members of the state, including basic rights such as the right to vote, freedom of expression, movement and association, and freedom of belief. However, significant inequality can still exist due to differences in resources and opportunities, so a demand is often made for equal opportunities or a 'level playing field.'
• Social Equality: Political equality needs to be supplemented by equality of opportunities to pursue justice and remove any legal hurdles that might exclude people from a voice in government and deny them access to social goods. To achieve this, people belonging to different groups and communities should have a fair and equal chance to compete for those goods and opportunities. In India, the state has a significant role to play in preventing discrimination against women and providing incentives to open up education or certain professions to them.
• Economic Equality: Economic inequality exists in a society if there are significant differences in wealth, property or income between individuals or classes. Measuring the relative difference between the richest and poorest groups and estimating the number of people who live below the poverty line are two ways to measure the degree of economic inequality. 

Marxism and liberalism are two important political ideologies of our times that have different views on how to tackle inequality.

• Marxism: Marx argued that private ownership of essential economic resources, such as oil, land, or forests, is the root cause of entrenched inequality that gives political power to the class of owners, posing a threat to democratic government. Marxists and socialists believe that economic inequality provides support to other forms of social inequality and advocate for public control over essential resources and forms of property.
• Liberalism: Liberals uphold the principle of competition as the most efficient and fair way of distributing resources and rewards in society. They believe that while states may have to intervene to ensure a minimum standard of living and equal opportunities for all, competition should be open and free, and inequalities in each of the spheres should be tackled appropriately. Unlike socialists, liberals do not believe that political, economic, and social inequalities are necessarily linked.

How can we promote Equality?

We need to consider if the use of affirmative action is justified for purposes of bringing about equality.

Establishing Formal Equality

• The first step towards bringing about equality is ending the formal system of inequality and privileges.
• Social, economic and political inequalities all over the world have been protected by customs and legal systems that prohibited some sections of society from enjoying certain kinds of opportunities and rewards.
• Attainment of equality requires that all such restrictions or privileges should be brought to an end. This is what Indian Constitution does.
• The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Indian Constitution also abolishes the practice of untouchability.
• Most modern constitutions and democratic governments have formally accepted the principle of equality and incorporated it as identical treatment by law to all citizens without any regard to their caste, race, religion or gender.

Equality Through Differential Treatment

• Sometimes it is necessary to treat people differently in order to ensure that they can enjoy equal rights.
• For example, disabled people may justifiably demand special ramps in public spaces so that they get an equal chance to enter public buildings.
• Some countries have used policies of affirmative action to enhance equality of opportunity. In India, we have relied on the policy of reservations.

Affirmative Action

• Affirmative action is based on the idea that it is not sufficient to establish formal equality by law.
• Affirmative action can however take many forms, from preferential spending on facilities for disadvantaged communities, such as, scholarships and hostels to special consideration for admissions to educational institutions and jobs.
• In our country we have adopted a policy of quotas or reserved seats in education and jobs to provide equality of opportunity to deprived groups. This has been the subject of considerable debate and disagreement.
• Special assistance in the form of affirmative action is expected to be a temporary or time-bound measure.
• Critics of positive discrimination contend that any provision of reservations or quotas for the deprived in admissions for higher education or jobs is unfair as it arbitrarily denies other sections of society their right to equal treatment.
• In the context of this debate, it is relevant to draw a distinction between equality as a guiding principle of state policy and equal rights of individuals.
• Individuals have a right to equal consideration for admission to educational institutions and public sector employment.
• Members of excluded groups, whether they are dalits, women, or any other category, deserve and need some special help. To provide this, the state must devise social policies which would help to make such people equal and give them a fair chance to compete with others.
• The spheres of education and health care India has done far less for its deprived population than what is their due.
• Social and economic inequalities of this kind hinder the pursuit of equal opportunities.
• The policies that we choose would have to be justified in terms of their success in making the society more egalitarian and fair to all.
• On the issue of equality, a distinction must also be made between treating everyone in an identical manner and treating everyone as equal.
• Differential or special treatment may be considered to realise the goal of equality but it requires justification and careful reflection.
• Many of these issues relating to the pursuit of equality have been raised by the women's movement.
• In the nineteenth century women struggled for equal rights. They demanded, for instance, the right to vote, the right to receive degrees in colleges and universities and the right to work — that is, the same rights as the men in their society.
• As they entered the job market they realised that women required special facilities in order to exercise these rights.
• Differential treatment is intended and justified only as a means to promoting a just and egalitarian society.