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qiGHTS, LIBERTY AND EQUALITY, , {, Natural Equality:, , ontradicted the principle, ind as advocated by Plato and, Or no one thing is like ag equal to, n Se are like and equal to one, : : © Komans took the argument of, the law of nature’ that was equally applicable to ail people, irrespective of their Country or race. The Christian thinkers, identified the ‘law of nature’ with the ‘law of God’ and thereby upheld the principle of natural equality of mankind as, sanctioned by the Biblical injunction of the ‘Fatherhood of, God and brotherhood of man’. 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 being liberty), in practice things are not so., It is like an ideal to say that ‘all earth is surface’.®° i, , of natural inequality of mank, Aristotle. Cicero said: “pf, another one as we huma, another.” The Stoics and th, , 2. Social Equality: While natural or moral equality is just an, ideal, the social or civil equality isan actuality. What we have j, said about the real meaning of equality applies here. It implies j, 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, ceme 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. 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’.®!, , 3, Political Equality: It means the access of all to the venues of, power, 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. Thus, every adult, citizen should have rights like exercising franchise, fighting, elections, securing a public employment, opposing or support, 60. A. Annadarai: The Substance of Politics, po Bh cil af

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geen ate oo 4, #, , PRINCIPLES OF MODERN POLITICAL SCIENCE, , 206, activity, changing the government, , 1 the like. If there ate severe restric., f franchise, thought and expression, of, ire available to @ very limited section, no political equality as we may, ise of South Africa. {mpressed with the case of, litical equality, Laski insisted on the abolj., leges of the Lords in England. Cari J,, feels that “political equality is increased py, 1, democratic legitimacy is embodied in the, , policy of, , ing some official, § anc, , by constitutional mean, , tions on the fi eedom 0, , such privileges, prmunity, there I, , , , : where, of the co, see in the ©, , ; } implications of po, , { tion of the privi, , Friedrich rightly, the degree to whicl, , political order.’’*, 4. Economic Equality: It implies that there should be no concen, : tration of economic power in the hands of few persons. The, ; distribution of national wealth musi 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, , aceruing to all. In a technical sense, it implies the case of the, equality of proportions’. But the difficulty with the case of, , economic equality is that it has different implications accord, ing to different thinkers. While the classical liberals take it, , equal opportunities to all in the sph : ; “, , consumption and distribution of ane nie productiaa, , intervention of the state, it eile, vaibject’ ca" Velaalal id itn economic freedom to all, ub tiectest ieee ee imposed by the state in, , Marxists go! tol the of may not exploit the poor, The, , a € final extent of iett, society’ in which all property would ee, a and the ideal of economic ‘ a ea ae, Balt, oe an of the exploitation of ante es, oS nomic power. Taking the view i man just by the, small mocratic socialist, Laski says: © aa, bee, = number of rich and a large ny Ys: “State divided into a, evelop a government witty esa tee of poor will always, amenities represented by their by the rich to protect the, 5, Lega! Equaliiy: Though Bo pereye ae, | joel . igh we have stalk i:, , } of legal equality while, , bi real, , , , , , of the meaning, f social or civil

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RIGHTS, LIBERTY AND EQUALITY 207, , equality, it shall be worthwhile to di, head. It has three implications, First, , the eye of the law of the land. (Only the head of the siate, , may de 1S EXception.) Secon, the protection of the life and, , property of each citizen is guranteed by law and this facility, , is available to all without discrimination of any kind. Last,, , justice is available to all ata low cost and without undue delay, , so that everyone irrespective of his social or economic posi, tion may get it according to tie established procedure of the, , land. But there would be no violation of the principe of, , equality if law guarantees diferent sets of privileges for, , persons belonging to diferent positions in the society. For, , instance, the privileges of a mcmber of Parliament can not 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, jn his assessment that it “‘is in the spirit of modern law to 4, , old certain fundamentals of rights and duties equally appli, a} ings. 64, , et to all ae ich we may refer to international ., , equality. ality. It means that all nations of the world must be treated equally without any consideration for any nation’s demo- |, i, , scuss it under a separate, + all citizens are alike in, , aE kai, ical, economic, or military potential. The |, remmecs ela Te cise of the United Nations has one, , ‘ te in the General Assembly suggests the case of equality in, ~ hee tional sphere. But with the growth of international- |, term has acquired some more implications, It is also y, :, , , , , , , , , nations must not resort to force; they must make 4), ific means of the settlement of their, evils like those of slavery and racial, , r from the face of the earth,, “distribution of scientific and techno ), g all nations of the world so as to, nal social and economic order. |