What is Equality?

What is equality?  I've asked this question to myself when I read about certain current events, history, or discussions with friends.  In my opinion, there is a myriad of meanings people use for equality for their arguments.  What these arguments, discussions, and events  show is that equality means something different depending on the topic.  I've noticed that the use is narrowly focused for a specific argument only and when it is transferred to another argument the original instigator doesn't agree with, then the logic changes.  I will define what equality means to me and apply it to current events.  I will compare my musings with others to further develop my understanding of changing meanings of equality.

Equality is important to Americans, we have fought and bleed for equality.  Equal, as defined on dictionary.com, is as great as or the same as.  Equality is defined as a state or quality of being equal.  These straightforward definitions pinpoint exactly how I undertand these words to mean.  For myself, I take being equal and having equality as the following: if I am able to do something then another person should be able to do it too.  This is an ideal I believe in, the reason I state ideal is because that not everyone believes this definition of equality.  People have guidelines, criteria, and requirements which can defeat the purpose of the equality ideal.  I used to think, as Americans, we would be different, but if you take a cursory look through the history of other societies and our own then you would discover that in this arena of thought we are not so different.

A past society that comes to mind right away is Ancient Greece, the birthplace of democracy according to Western tradition in the city-state of Athens.  If you were a citizen in Athens, then you had equal privelages in the assembly.  This would be an example, in my own mind, of gov't/political equality.  There were requirements you had to meet first to become equal with others that involved birth and wealth.  Also, social class in Athens was based on wealth with education solely the province of the wealthy.  In reality, even though citizens are equal with their political rights, the wealthy usually were the ones taking the reigns of government.
From the very beginning of our history, we categorized people who had equal rights and those that did not.  The word "men" in our Declaration of Independence caused many discussions then and now.  The Three-Fifths compromise regarding slavery, counting slaves for population but not giving them the right to vote.  Women not allowed to vote until just this past century becuase they were not felt to be equal to a man.  This is just a small comparison, but any reader can see the connection of our past in general with the development of equality and how it is interpreted.

These examples makes me wonder, why do people create obstacles to equality?  If you look at the obstacles themselves it can give you a clue, power.  For Athens, Greece their requirements kept power in the hands of the elite.  For early Americans, slaves stayed property but lifted the influence of Southern states.  When a group of people have something for a period of time, it can change the way that "something" is thought of.  The "something" can be as simple as a seat on a bus or the right to vote.  Is it that when you have a privelage for so long, do you start to feel entitled?  That it is yours only?  When there are requirements or restrictions placed on certain privelages, ie dividing those who are equal and those who are not, it is becuase it seperates those who have power(they are alike) with those who are different.  Easy examples of this come to mind: social classes, caste systems, wealth, education, birth, sex, etc.  These categories have been used to bind people together, if you have the right characteristics then you are in the right group and are among equals.  If not, then you are on the outside looking in.  

Even within groups that seem on the outside have their own requirements, I see this when I read about gun rights or gay rights.  To be included in one side or the other, you must believe a certain way or you are not included.  Is this a danger when you fight for equality for your group, your identity is created by being separate and you can't see yourself as included?  Why must you be on one side or the other?  Is choosing sides lessening the meaning of the fight of inequality?

It seems I've come up with more questions for myself in my musings on equality.  I've started reading more on the development of equality and hope to bring more to the discussion as time goes on.

 
 

Introduction

Welcome to the "Agnostic Critique," my blog for random topics that have captured my interest.  The goal with this blog take the topic and delve into the subject matter to further my understanding.  I am a lover of learning, I am at my best when I can find something new that expands my current views.

I have discovered with everything I've accomplished in my life, learning breeds experience such as becoming a student, teacher, husband, parent, etc.  Until you learn by either gaining personal experience or researching a subject, your words are empty.  An easy example is hearing parenting advice regarding your child from someone who is not a parent.  They have the correct way for every situation, but as true parents know every child is different and what might work with one child is useless with another

Agnostic is a person who neither believes or disbelieves in the existence of a deity, it is unknowable.  Critique is a detailed analysis and assessment of something.  I defined my title because it is the basis of how I approach any subject I have an interest in.  If there is a subject or topic I have no knowledge of, I neither believe or disbelieve.  To move beyond this, I critique a topic allowing further development of my experience and understanding.  As I continue to learn and grow, my knowledge and understanding will change as well.  To think one knows everything, there is nothing new to learn is a person who has pulled the blinds over their eyes.

Again, welcome and I hope for those that follow this blog will learn along with side me.