Does equality diminish freedom?

Question

If so, how? If not, how not? Examples that can be verified or are hypothetical would be helpful (i.e. no personal anecodotes please). No I am not doing homework, just thought I would ask a critical thinking question instead of the mundane 'what is the meaning of life' question.

Answer 1

Depends largely, of course, on what your exact definition of "equality" is.

I can only think of two situations where equality dimishes freedom:

1. If I wished to illegally discriminate against someone (because of race, ethnicity, gender, national origina, etc.) in some way, the fact that we are all "equal" under the law prohibits me from doing that. You could say that my freedom has been diminished...but what decent, honorable person would want that kind of freedom?

2. If your definition of "equality" is not equality of OPPORTUNITY, but equality of RESULTS...and you're willing to skew the results in order to achieve that, then the freedom of all those who...based on whatever qualification ranking you choose...might otherwise have earned a job, promotion, etc. but who were passed over in favor of a lesser-qualified person in order to "even out" the results...has had their freedom diminished. (As in some affirmative action situations, where some are more "equal" than others.)

Answer 2

Well, I would have to start off by first saying that freedom itself pretty much means that you are not held by withstraints, that there is no written or spoken law you must abide by. Therefore when people say that we as America are free; in all due respect to those that believe otherwise it; we really arn't. Yes we have rights; constitutional rights are given to us, but that is not freedom for America is a Constitutional Republic; we must follow the constitution meaning that; the constitution itself is a withstraint more so on the government. It gives us rights not freedom. So to say that equality diminishes freedom; it would be utterly wrong. For if there was true freedom, no one would have withstraints over any other; we would live amongst others as equals following only our own values and morals. Although we must take a step away from that we have to look at the fact that People are inherently genetically unequal. Some are genetically smart, others stupid, some have a genetic predisposition for muscles and strength while others inherit a vulnerability to certain diseases. There will never be a true equality; but there can be a system in which everyone has equal rights as the case with America. Although equal rights may sound like equality at it's finest yet all uit means is that every citizen has those rights not that we are equal. So to answer the question there can be no way for equality to support freedom or diminish it; for equality sounds nice; but will not and cannot ever happen. In today's world. Philosophical enough?

Answer 3

I think equality might diminish freedom in the same way that laws to protect the rights of the community curtail our individual freedom.
Yet paradoxically, without equality and laws to protect the community, people would not be free.

I think it's a contradiction to call a place a "free country" when large portions of the population are treated like second class citizens ('separate but equal') because they are denied certain freedoms. Equality can work towards a solution.

People don't tend to have freedom in lawless times (such as right after the fall of the Roman Empire- before the grip of Feudalism really got a firm hold). They feel frightened and all their energy is focused on just surviving.

However, it is a balancing act. Equality can be taken too far, to a point where freedom is diminished. That's when you step behind the point of equality of opportunity into equality of results. I believe there is a work of fiction that illustrates this well in which the fastest runner must wear weights to even out with the slower and the smart must wear buzzers that give them a shock to slow down their thoughts. I forget the title at the moment.

Similarly, the rights of the community can be taken too far eclipse individual freedoms too much. Hypothetically, a teacher might find himself in trouble because the community disapproves of his material (evolution in the case of science, Catcher in the Rye in the case of English etc).

(I hope this is adequate for now. I just woke up 10 minutes ago and am using this question to jump-start my brain for the day.)

Answer 4

The sad, but true, answer to your question is that, without drastic changes to the world we live in, equality and freedom cannot and will not *exist*, never mind *coexist*. In the United States, we pledge ourselves to a flag representing a country believing in liberty for all. Yet how many people strive to amass as much personal wealth as possible, no matter the cost, no matter how many people they have to step on or push aside to get it? And though it pains me to state it, the United States is not alone in this. Far too many people in this world care only for themselves and their loved ones, leaving the rest of the world population to fend for itself. Neither equality nor freedom can exist in a world plagued by this kind of, at best, indifference, and at worst, hostility. Should people suddenly, miraculously, see the error of their ways and make the necessary changes to the way they live, equality may be possible, and freedom would be inevitable. Will this ever happen? I doubt it, but I refuse to give up hope. Miracles can occur.

Answer 5

Heck no, if anything, it gives more people the chance to display their skills and talents to then let others decide what they think, based on the individual. At least it doesn't automatically count people out based on their race, religion, etc. P.S. Not everyone is equal, some are smarter, some are prettier, some are more polite, some more agressive. There are just as many personality types / ablilties as there are sizes of noses. Anyway, everyone should have a chance to be heard and judged by their merit, not their race or appearance.

Answer 6

It does for some, and it increases it for others. I guess it creates balanced freedom. It is also important to make a distinction from "equal" and "the same". People can have equal rights without being the same or using their rights in the same way. This is very important when dealing with gender roles. Men and women CAN (and should) be respected equally without having the same roles in society. Freedom allows people to choose what roles they want to take and use their natural abilities to whatever extent they want to.

Freedom also means that we all have to take responsibility for our actions and be willing to take a role in leadership, even if it is a small act such as educating yourself on the world around you and voting.

Answer 7

Equality is only a legal term, an ideal. We are not all equal. The rich prove that by their very privilege. As an ideal it is necessary in order to have anything resembling freedom.
When you think about it. The only real freedom we have, which cannot be taken or given, is freedom of thought.

Answer 8

It shouldn't. However, although our forefathers--the
politicians who drafted the Bill of Rights and the United
States Constitution--agreed that "all men are created
equal" and insisted on "Liberty and justice for all", it's
because of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, and the
Neo Nazis that equality is somewhat of a misnomer.
Therefore, there cannot be complete & total freedom
for all mankind.
(Not unless, that is to say, the hatred that exist in this
country--and elsewhere in the world, for that matter;
let's not forget terrorists networks such as Al Queda
and Hamas--are abolished.)

Answer 9

There is far more to freedom than being equal. There will always be people who are better off than others; more money, more property, more brains, more talent, better looks, better health, etc. There is no way to make everyone equal, no matter how hard we try. The trick is to give everyone the same rights & opportunities to freely better themselves at their own pace, to win or lose at the game of life by their own actions - so long as they don't violate the rights of others.

Answer 10

Equality would only mean equality of the subordinates and that for life.

Freedom would mean being not a slave, nor a conquered nation. With freedom comes a great responsibility. Any subordinate with the will to be higher than the average can do so.