Equality

Understanding equality

The word equality has its root in the Latin term for knights – or equites – which meant propertied men who, unlike common foot soldiers, had sufficient wealth to ride into battle on a horse. They considered themselves to be equals among their peers but of a distinct social class from the common soldiery. As such, the modern concept of equality never really means a level playing field for all – such ideas are more associated with the concept of egalitarianism. Equality can, therefore, mean different things to different people and have unique meanings in different contexts around the world. Many people who campaign for greater equality want outcomes to be more equal and for people to have a fair chance in life rather than ensuring everyone has an exactly shared out amount of resource and wealth.

In the past, many people were treated in an unequal way – something that continues in certain societies. By enshrining some human rights into law, usually in the form of a state constitution, people have gained equality rights which, for instance, meant that their rights to protest, to employment and to worship were protected. A good example is when women won the right to vote in Western countries. A previously disenfranchised group won the equal right to vote and to stand in elections meaning that their right to equality was established in law.

Most people feel that their sense of fairness is tied up with ideas surrounding equality. That said, the two concepts are different. People who are paid on an unequal basis, for example, may think that the difference is entirely fair given that they perform differently or work in slightly different ways even though there is no exact parity in their pay. In some cases, of course, fairness and equality coincide with one another, but it is not always so.

It is usually defined as a group or society in which all members have the same standing, something which means their ability to speak and to vote is equally respected. This has been bound up with gender and racial equality in the past because women and certain ethnic groups have been disenfranchised in the past. This is one of the founding principles behind liberal democracy.

A socially equal society provides a level playing field for all of its citizens. Of course, who is considered a citizen and who is not is a big part of what makes a society an equal one, or otherwise. This is a state of affairs in which freedom of speech, freedom of association, the ability to own property plus the freedom of political and religious views are respected. Where discrimination and social barriers exist, such a society will seek ways of overcoming them.