TABLE OF CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION

 EQUALITY

 KINDS OF EQUALITY
1. NATURAL EQUALITY
2. SOCIAL EQUALITY
3. POLITICAL EQUALITY
4. CIVIL EQUALITY
5. ECONOMIC EQUALITY
6. LEGAL EQUALITY
7. INTERNATIONAL EQUALITY

 IMPORTANCE OF EQUALITY

 CONCLUSION

 REFERENCES
 INTRODUCTION
“Equality means that no man shall be so placed in society that he can over-reach his
neighbour to the extent which constitutes a denial of latter’s citizenship.” – Laski

‘Every man to count for one and no one to count for more than one.' This formula,
much used by utilitarian philosophers, seems to me to form the heart of equality or of equal
rights, and has coloured much liberal and democratic thought.

Equality is the basis of democracy like liberty. Equality is a condition to good social life.
The concept of equality is closely related to the theory of natural right.

The Preamble of the Indian Constitution defines Equality as one of the four basic objectives
of the Indian polity, the other three being Justice, Liberty and Fraternity. Our constitution
has granted Right to Equality under Article 14.

Equality involves, first of all, absence of legal discrimination against any one individual,
group, class or race. Secondly, equal claims to adequate opportunities for all, recognition of
the fact that there can be no difference inherent in nature between claims of men to
happiness, and especially, that no one person or group may be sacrificed to another. Finally,
claims to a minimum of education, housing, food, and guarantees against economic
insecurity.

The principle of equality is based on human reason or rationality, which every human being
is endowed with. Equality means that all human beings should be treated equally in respect
of certain fundamental traits common to all such as human worth and dignity and human
personality.

In the American Declaration of Independence (1776), it is declared that “we hold these
truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

Equality is a levelling process: “The ideal of equality has insisted that men are
politically equal, that all citizens are equally entitled to take part in political life, to
exercise the franchise, to run for and hold office. It has insisted that individuals should
be equal before the law, that when the general law confers rights or imposes duties, the
rights and duties shall extend to all; or conversely that they shall not confer special
privileges on particular individuals or groups.”

“that whatever conditions are guaranteed to me, in the form of rights, shall also, and in
the same measures, be guaranteed to others and that whatever rights are given to others
shall also be given to me.” – R.H. Tawney

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 EQUALITY
“Equality means equal rights for all the people and the abolition of all special rights and
privileges”. – Barker

Equality means, first of all, that special privileges of all kinds should be abolished. All
barriers of birth, wealth, sex, caste, creed and colour should be removed so that no one
suffers from any kind of social or political disability.

The popular meaning of the term equality is that all men are equal and all should be entitled
of treatment and income. Those who subscribe to this meaning of equality, assert that all
men are born equal and nature has willed them to remain so.

The National Assembly of France adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
in 1789 which stated "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."

The Founding Fathers of the American nation adopted a Declaration of Independence in

1776 that inter alia said, “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights.”

Equality means that all people are entitled to same rights and opportunities to develop their
skills and talents and to pursue their goals and ambitions.

Equality really means equal opportunities for development without discrimination. In fact,
when we talk of equality of all men we really mean general and fair equality and not
absolute equality. We really talk of a fair distribution of opportunities reward and not equal
reward for all.

Rewards must depend upon the actual abilities and work of various people. Hence equality
does not mean absolute and total equality.

The State should provide those social and economic opportunities that offer equal chances.

Thus Equality stands for 3 Basic Features:

(i) Absence of special privileges in society.

(ii) Presence of adequate and equal opportunities for development for all.

(iii) Equal satisfaction of basic needs of all.

The concept of equality constitutes a concomitant of the principle of liberty, on the one
hand, and of justice, on the other. It is due to this that great thinkers as well as

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revolutionaries have treated it as an integral part of their movement for liberty and social
transformation. For instance, the representative thinker of the social contract school (John
Locke) held that the “Law of Nature teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that
being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty
or possessions.”

In society there are present two types of inequalities Natural inequalities and Man-made
unnatural inequalities. The former means natural differences among human beings have to be
accepted by all. The man-made inequalities are those which are there because of some social
conditions and discriminations. These are of the nature of socioeconomic inequalities
resulting from the operation of social system. The discriminations practiced and inequalities
maintained in the name of caste, colour, creed, religion, sex, place of birth and the like are all
unnatural man- made inequalities. Equality means end of all such inequalities and
discriminations. Equality means absence of all unnatural and unjust inequalities.

The Indian constitution has also given special provisions like the backward community of
society needs to be given reservations so that they can enjoy the right to equality. For
example: if everybody has been given equal right to compete in exams, then it can happen
when all sections of community share the fruits of education but backward community in
India’s past were not given equal rights. So post-independence, India came out with
reservations to bring them on an equal platform.

“The Right to Equality proper is a right of equal satisfaction of basic human needs,
including the need to develop and use capacities which are specifically human.”

– D.D Raphall

To sum up, equality means to provide adequate opportunities for free and full development
of individual personality, absence of privileges, guaranteeing of rights to all and equal
access to all to all venues of authority. Equal opportunities to all necessary for the fullest
development of personality of the people.

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 KINDS OF EQUALITY

James Bryce makes mention of four kinds of equality: Natural Equality, Social Equality,
Political Equality and Civil Equality. Bryce’s classification may be supplemented by
Economic Equality. Since equality is a multi-dimensional concept, it has its different kinds
that may be put as under :

1. Natural Equality :

It implies that nature has made all men equal. In ancient times, the Stoics of Greece and then
Roman thinkers like Polybius and Cicero contradicted the principle of natural inequality of
mankind as advocated by Plato and Aristotle.
Cicero said: “For no one thing is like as equal to another one as we human beings are
like and equal to one another.”
The Stoics and the Romans took the argument of the ‘law of nature’ that was equally
applicable to all people irrespective of their country or race.
In modern times, Rousseau and Marx may be taken as the best exponents of the case of
natural equality of mankind.
It may, however, be said at this stage that the natural equality of mankind is a very noble
idea which constitutes one of the two foundations of democracy (the other beings liberty), in
practice things are not so. It is like an ideal to say that ‘all earth is surface’.
Men differ obviously and profoundly in almost every respect beyond the mere equality of
being human beings.
It is, however, to be remembered that of natural equality is made to free society from
artificial inequalities created by man himself.
Natural equality is rather an ideal and not an immediate reality. This ideal should be attained
in a society as far as possible.
Despite the fact that men differ in respect of their physical features, psychological traits,
mental abilities and capacities, all humans are to be treated as equal humans. All are to be
considered worthy of enjoying all human rights and freedoms.

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2. Social Equality :

While natural or moral equality is just an ideal, the social or civil equality is an actuality.
What we have said about the real meaning of equality applies here.
It implies that the rights and opportunities of all are equal so that each may have the best
possible development of his personality. Its best manifestation can be seen in the world of
law where we come across the principle of equality before law and its equal protection for
all. The law of the land is applicable to all from the President or Prime Minister at the top to
a constable or a watchman at the bottom.
On the 10th December, 1948.UNO, declared the charter of Human Rights which laid
stress on social equality.
The judicial system protects the rights of all irrespective of anybody's social and economic
position. The noted English jurist (Dicey) defines it as one of the two essential principles of
the ‘rule of law’.
It stands for equal rights and opportunities for development for all classes of people without
any discrimination. Specifically, it stands for:
(i) Absence of special privileges for any class or caste or religions group or an ethnic
group;
(ii) Prohibition of discrimination against any one on the basis of caste, colour, creed,
religion, sex and place of birth;
(iii) Free access to public places for all the people, i.e. no social segregation; and
(iv) Equality of opportunity for all people. It however accepts the concept of protective
discrimination in favour of all weaker sections of society.

A modern central theme of social equality is to end gender inequality, to ensure equal status
and opportunities to the women and to ensure equal rights of male and female children to
live and develop.

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3. Political Equality :

Political equality implies that all citizens should have political rights and should have equal
access to all offices of authority. It means universal adult suffrage. It also implies rights to
form political parties and contest in election. These rights are necessary in a democratic
society.

All citizens irrespective of their differences in matters of religion, caste, creed, race, wealth,
sex, language, and the like should have equal voice in the management of public affairs, or
in the holding of public offices. If there are severe restrictions on the freedom of franchise,
thought and expression, or where such privileges are available to a very limited section of
the community, there is no political equality as we may see in the case of South Africa.

Impressed with the case of implications of political equality, Laski insisted on the abolition
of the privileges of the Lords in England. Carl J. Friedrich rightly feels that "political
equality is increased by the degree to which democratic legitimacy is embodied in the
political order."
But political equality is never real unless it is accompanied by economic equality. It there
are glaring contrasts in the distribution of wealth, the political life of the country will be
manned by those who have the means to foot the election expenses and get themselves
elected. When wealth becomes the only criterion for the enjoyment of political rights,
political equality is not possible. In such a society some are born to rule and others are born
to be ruled. This is not a democratic ideal, because democracy rests upon the foundation of
the equality of men, irrespective of their station in life. It accepts man as a man.

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4. Civil Equality :

There is civil equality in the State when persons are subject to the same law in enjoyment of
their various rights and liberties.
There can be no civil equality when law kames distinction between one individual and the
other.
Civil equality as a concept has been accepted in a democratic form of government.
It implies that all citizens should be treated alike in the matters of possession of their rights
without any discrimination on the grounds of religion, belief, caste or creed.

5. Economic Equality :

Economic Equality implies that there should be no concentration of economic power in the
hands of few persons. The distribution of national wealth must be such that no section of the
people becomes over-affluent to the detriment of others.
No section of the community must be forced to reach the margin of starvation or economic
want. There should be 'a specific civic minimum' in the realm of economic benefits accruing
to all.
Economic equality, according to Lord Bryce, is “the attempt to expunge all differences in
wealth, allotting to every man and woman an equal share in worldly goods.” It means that
wealth should be enjoyed equally by all. It also implies abolition of poverty. The basic
minimum of an individual should be fulfilled. If primary needs of an individual are not

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 fulfilled, there cannot be real democracy. It also means that primary needs of all should be
met before the special needs of few are satisfied.
Political equality is said to be meaningless unless it is accompanied by economic equality.
In a technical sense, it implies the case of the 'equality of proportions'. But the difficulty
with the case of the economic equality is that it has different implications according to
different thinkers. While the classical liberals take it as equal opportunities to all in the
spheres of production, consumption and distribution of goods with least possible
intervention of the state, it means economic freedom to all subject to rules and regulations
imposed by the state in public interest so that the rich may not exploit the poor.
The Marxists go to the final extent of establishing a 'classless society' in which all property
would be under the control of the state and the ideal of economic equality would mean
complete absence of the exploitation of man by man just by the use of economic power.
Taking the view of a positive liberal or a democratic socialist, Laski says: "State divided
into a small number of rich and a large number of poor will always develop a government
manipulated by the rich to protect the amenities represented by their property."
In the communist countries, emphasis has been given on economic equality. In modern
democracy, emphasis is also given on reasonable economic equality among the citizens.
Accumulation of wealth has been considered to be a vice in recent times. Poverty
amelioration programmes have been launched in India to bring the poor above poverty line.

6. Legal Equality :
Legal Equality has three implications. First, all citizens are alike in the eye of the law of the
land. (Only the head of the state may be its exception.) Second, the protection of the life and
property of each citizen is guaranteed by law and this facility is available to all without
discrimination of any kind. Last, justice is available to all at a low cost and without undue
delay so that everyone irrespective of his social or economic position may get it according
to the established procedure of the land.
But there would be no violation of the principle of equality if law guarantees different sets
of privileges for persons belonging to different positions in the society. For instance, the
privileges of a Member of Parliament cannot be made equal to the privileges of a cabinet
minister by the system of law. In other words, it implies the case of equality at equal levels.
Any yet it implies that the privileges of one must be legally equal to the privileges of others
if they stand at the same level.
An English writer is, therefore, right in his assessment that it "is in the spirit of modern law
to hold certain fundamentals of rights and duties equally applicable to all human
beings."

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7. International Equality :
Lastly, we may refer to international equality. It means that all nations of the world must be
treated equally without any consideration for any nation's demographic, geographical,
economic, or military potential.
The charter of United Nations also recognizes equality in international sphere when it says:
“The organization is based on the principles of sovereign equality of all its members”.
The fact that each member-state of the United Nations has one vote in the General
Assembly suggests the case of equality in the international sphere. But with the growth of
internationalism, this term has acquired some more implications. It is also desired that
nations must not resort to force; they must make use of pacific means of the settlement of
their disputes.
Gigantic evils like those of slavery and racial segregation must disappear from the face of
the earth.
Above all, it implies distribution of scientific and technological achievements among all
nations of the world so as to usher in a new international social and economic order.

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 IMPORTANCE OF EQUALITY
We need equality so that we can get equal treatment in society. When we are treated
equally, an individual earns respect and dignity. He feels he/she is having equal worth in
society despite race, caste, colour, status or nationality.
A person gets equal rights and liberty and by making use of this, he/she is able to develop
his/her full personality.

Importance of equality:
1. Equality is very essential for the development of human personality.
2. Equality recognises the talent of all people and provides opportunities to all without
discrimination.
3. Equality promotes liberty and both go together.
4. Equality helps the success of democracy.
5. Equality enhances the prestige and self-respect of the individuals.
6. Equality is essential for social justice as it thrives for the abolition of social evils.

Significance of equality in democracy is that if there is no equality in democracy then it will

destroy the rules of democracy. There will no law & order everyone will want to be superior
than others and it also affect the system of state in that situation that if there is no equality in
democracy so how is it a democracy.
Demand for equality was also raised during our independence movement when we
demanded equal treatment for Indians with British. Remember Rowlatt Act (1919) where
Indians were to be imprisoned without trial and British will be tried by English judges only
this was so unequal.
Even now, we see so much of inequality. There's so much of poverty. Slums coexist with
huge buildings. Women do not have equal rights like access to education, health facilities
etc. In remote areas of India, Dalits are still discriminated on the basis of caste there is no
equal provision of drinking water, food and sanitation facilities.

So equality is an important principle for the society to function and since there's all
inequality around us, so equality becomes an important topic in political theory.

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 CONCLUSION

Equality is an abstract concept. It has evoked tremendous response from the political
philosophers and revolutionaries. Liberty and equality are related to each other.
We need equality so that we can get equal treatment in society.
It is undoubtedly a very difficult concept to achieve.
With the abolition of classes and the establishment of a fully communist society, the
concept of equality will be redundant.
Workplaces commonly have non-discrimination policies based on the principle of
equality. Ideally, employees are treated equally while on the job.
The champions of democracy support the idea that equality is necessary but at the same
time they consider it as an ideal only. Equality of status and opportunity which the
Preamble of the Indian Constitution proclaims, is an ideal to which mankind is moving
nearer. The obstacles on the path of equality are gradually removed. It is more realised
today than it was realised in earlier times.

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 REFERENCES

1) Political Theory by K.K. Mishra and Eddy Asirvanthan .

2) Principles of Political Science by Dr. A.C. Kapur .

3) Principles of Modern Political Science by J.C. Johari .

4) Political Theory by R.C. Agarwal .

5) Political Science by S.R. Myneni .

6) Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth .

7) www.wikipedia.com

8) www.polisci.edu.com

9) www.encylopedia.com

10) www.jstor.com

11) www.britannica.com

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