Equality and Justice
Short Questions
1. What is the meaning of equality in a political context?
Answer: Equality in a political context means all citizens have equal rights to participate in state affairs, such as voting and representation.
2. What are natural inequalities?
Answer: Natural inequalities are differences in abilities like talent, height, or physical strength that exist due to nature.
3. What does equality before law imply?
Answer: It implies that all individuals, regardless of status, are treated equally by the legal system.
4. Who propounded the idea of natural equality?
Answer: Thomas Hobbes propounded the idea of natural equality in his book ‘Leviathan’.
5. What is social justice according to John Rawls?
Answer: Social justice, per Rawls, involves equitable distribution of resources ensuring fairness and equal rights for all.
6. What is civil equality?
Answer: Civil equality means equal availability of rights to all without discrimination based on race, caste, or gender.
7. Why is economic equality important?
Answer: Economic equality ensures equal opportunities and prevents wealth concentration, fostering fairness.
8. What did Mahatma Phule focus on regarding equality?
Answer: Mahatma Phule focused on eliminating gender and caste discrimination in India.
9. What is procedural justice?
Answer: Procedural justice involves following proper legal procedures and treating everyone equally before the law.
10. How does the Indian Constitution ensure justice?
Answer: It ensures justice through policies like reservation, scholarships, and laws promoting social and economic equality.
Long Questions
1. Explain the importance of equality in society.
Answer: Equality ensures just conditions, upholds human dignity, fosters mutual respect, and promotes fraternity. It reduces inequalities and supports individual development, enabling liberty and justice to thrive in society.
2. Describe Aristotle’s view on equality.
Answer: Aristotle viewed equality as limited to citizens in Greek city-states, excluding slaves and women. He advocated reducing inequality through a constitution and emphasized equality before law to balance ruler-ruled dynamics.
3. What is the difference between natural and manmade inequalities?
Answer: Natural inequalities arise from inherent differences like talent or physical strength, while manmade inequalities stem from societal constructs like caste, wealth, or religion, often leading to discrimination and exploitation.
4. How did Karl Marx’s idea of equality differ from liberal ideas?
Answer: Marx rejected liberal equality, advocating for a classless society with equal distribution of production means. He focused on emancipating workers from exploitation, unlike liberal emphasis on individual rights.
5. Discuss the role of social equality in India as per Indian thinkers.
Answer: Indian thinkers like Phule, Ambedkar, and Gandhi stressed social equality to eliminate caste and gender discrimination. They advocated for equitable resource distribution and dignity for all, countering social hierarchies.
Leave a Reply