Are all men equal or unequal by nature?

Question

Thank you philosophers for all the answers. Have a wonderful day!

Answer 1

Hi Third P,
It has already been said but I believe all men are equal in terms of the amount of respect and consideration they receive and they should be treated fairly with human rights. We are not however born with equality of opportunity or even health. Some men show incredible courage in the face of adversity; some might bravely resist and find ways to overcome the restrictions of a disability. We need to respect those who deserve more deference and authority. If everyone was equal and to be treat that way it would be even more difficult to teach the youngsters in our society ‘respect’. We are all equal in the eyes of God but a degree of reverence and respect for those who deserve it, can’t come in wrong in the eyes of men.
Pollyanna

Answer 2

Both. People have different characters, health, and capabilities. But yet all of our values innately are equal. But then again that same comparison makes a dust spec no different in value in a human life. That's universal perspective. The world can be so unforgiving because all things are equal. And human beings like to place values of importance upon things that don't follow the equality of the universe thus that is where their unhappiness comes from. Their idealizing their situation and saying this is best, and if things are not this way then I cannot allow myself to be happy. The more you accept life, the less equality or inequality matters and the more you can simply enjoy life and live it to it's fullest.

Answer 3

Hi Third P.

All people are, by nature, both equal & unequal. We are unequal in the fact that we are 2 different genders. But, in each of our genders, male & female, we are born with equal bodily systems.

Even physically, for instance, we are different. There are different body types. Some are shorter & smaller in size, while some are taller & bigger in size. We are born looking different; we have different color eyes, skin color, hair color.

We are born with different temperaments. That is not the same as personality. Personality develops later; but our temperament will affect how our personality will form. It is what was passed down to us genetically, such as having an artistic or musical temperament, or a propensity towards shyness or, conversely, gregariousness.

These aspects of temperament are given to us by nature; and we are all different in that respect. Also, as I mentioned, we are physically different.

So, physically, we are different by nature. Also, the beginning of what will be our personality is also different, by nature. So, by nature, we all come into this world different.

Then, as we grow, we are influenced by our surroundings. First, by our parents and, possibly, our siblings, as well as other relatives. Then we go to school and, possibly, church/temple, and we are influenced even more. Are we influenced the same? Certainly not. We become individuals, all different.

Whether we were born in a country with equal rights, etc., has nothing to do with nature.

By nature, we are only equal as far as gender goes; we are, by nature, either male or female. As far as our other attributes, both physical & mental, we will all be individuals.

Each one of us is unique.

Answer 4

This is a really profound question, for someone who doesn't think so much of themself. I think this is one of the biggest questions of the last century. When the british were deciding whether to give the rest of their empire autonomy from the throne, it was simply said that 'these people cannot take care of themselves'. Now India is one of the economic and political superpowers of the world, that nation founded as a colony for criminals, australia is a source of stability to SE Asia. The fact of the matter is that if you take any group of people and watch them over time, no matter how ridiculously underprivileged and inferior in material means, in the matter of a generation it will produce some outstanding results. There persists today an idea that opportunities and education are the same as human accomplishment. But it is the vigor of all our individual thoughts and effort that make us successful in life. Read some real life stories of people who are successful. US congressmen, movie stars, fabulously wealthy business people - a good deal of them started with nothing. See first reference. Then read all the business bios in forbes online for a month. If we truly believe that we have nothing to offer and therefore nothing to gain from the system, that is part of what makes us poor. Because without it we become what people believe we will be rather than what we ourselves know we can be.

Answer 5

All men are made equal. No one is above the other in terms of basic rights and responsibilities. We are all given gifts of specific talent or skill. However, our manner of dealing with our given gifts, and our way of exercising our rights determine how we weigh in scale with all the others. When others seem to soar above us in their success,..or dive below us in their failures,..it gives us the perception of inequality. We wonder if we were born winners, or losers.
Being equal doesn't mean having the same equal amount of everything. We may be ignorant of what the other guy is so an expert of; but we could have some special things he's never aware of. This keeps us up the balance in someway. So, when you think you are over, or lesser than others,.. fix your life-scale...for we all are equal in the eyes of our Creator.

Answer 6

Nature is non-intellectual; nature does not impose equal or unequal.
Nor can short or tall, genius or retarded be judged as either. Only humans, subjectively, define one as more or less than another.
Nature does not "think," & human perceptions should never be projected on nature.
No.

Edit: How humans integrate their lives, make their choices or are deprived of them is irrelevant to the question.

Answer 7

Yes. We all are equal. We like others born in this world, and die some day. But the period between the birth and death differs from one another. The way they live, and their thoughts, their dreams, their passion says that all are unequal in THOUGHTS.:)

So, ALL are EQUAL in NATURE
ALL are UNEQUAL in THOUGHTS ( the way they think):)

:)

Answer 8

In contrast in with the ideal, we are all unequal in measure as natural objects, whereas in the ideal we are all equal in the law (right different from wrong). I believe the ideal as yet is unrealized in its completed form and the ideal its self may be incomplete.

The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative.

Answer 9

We all OUGHT to be considered of equal INTRINSIC value, but obviously we don't all have the same INSTRUMENTAL value. Now barbarically strict utilitarians like the Nazi's, considered instrumental value of supreme importance, and thought intrinsic value was a meaningless, useless concept, so they got rid of it. But the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath- so to speak. Those societies which choose to posit a belief in the intrinsic value of man are always bound to excel beyond the others. I say posit, because what do we really mean by 'OUGHT to'?

Answer 10

In one sense we are all equal, but in another sense, being alive itself is a constant play between balance and imbalance and pure equality is closer in nature to death than life. Life is mysterious and in a way it is petty to be concerned with equality rather than just enjoying the brilliance of life's mysteries.