Polity, Class - XI

Freedom = it is noting but absence of constraints. Aspects of freedom – the absence of external constraints as well as the existence of conditions in which people can develop their talents – are important. A free society would be one which enables all its members to develop their potential with the minimum of social constraints. Two dimensions of freedom school – freedom as the absence of external constraints, and freedom as the expansion of opportunities to express one’s self.

Positive & Negative freedom - Positive liberty is the possession of the power and resources to fulfill one's own potential, which is freedom from external restraint. A concept of positive liberty may also include freedom from internal constraints. . Negative liberty is primarily concerned with freedom from external restraint. .

Positive liberty recognizes that one can be free only in society (not outside it) and hence tries to make that society such that it enables the development of the individual whereas negative liberty is only concerned with the inviolable area of non – interference and not with the conditions in society, outside this area.

Ghandhi wrote the Hind Swaraj in 1909

The French revolutionaries used the slogan ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’

The richest 50 individuals in the world have a combined income greater than that of the poorest 40 crore people.

The poorest 40% of the world’s population receive only 5% of global income, while the richest 10% of the world’s population controls 54% of global income.

The risk of dying from pregnancy related causes is 1 to 18 in Nigeria but 1 to 8700 in Canada.

Natural inequalities = these are those that emerge between people as a result of their different capabilities and talents. These kinds of inequalities are different from socially – produced inequalities which emerge as a consequence of inequalities of opportunity or the exploitation if some groups in a society by others. It is considered to be the result of the different characteristics and abilities with which people are born. It is generally assured that natural difference cannot be altered. Social inequalities on the other hand are those created by society.

Political Equality = it would normally include granting equal citizenship to all the members of the state. Equal citizenship brings with it certain basic rights such as the right to vote, freedom of expression, movement and association and freedom of belief. These are rights which are considered necessary to enable citizens to develop themselves and participate in the affairs of the state.

[Type text] Page 1

Polity, Class - XI

Social Equality = people belonging to different groups and communities also have a fair and equal chance to compete for those goods and opportunities. For this, it is necessary to minimize the effects of social and economic inequalities and guarantee certain minimum conditions of life to all the members of the society – adequate health care, the opportunity for goods education, adequate nourishment and a minimum wage, among other things.

Economic Equality = it exists in society if there are significant differences in wealth, property or income between individuals or classes

Marx was an important 19th centaury thinker who argued that the root cause of entrenched inequality was private ownership of important economic resources such as oil, or land, or forest, as well as other forms of property. Marxists and socialists feel that economic inequality provides support to other form of social inequality such as difference of rank or privilege.

The first step towards bringing about equality is of course ending the formal system of inequality and privileges. Social, economic and political inequalities all over the world have been protected by customs and legal systems that prohibited some sections of society from enjoying certain kinds of opportunities and rewards.

Attainment of equality requires that all such restrictions or privileges should be brought to an end. Since many of these systems have the sanction of law, equality requires that the government and the law of the land should stop protecting these systems of inequality. This is what our Constitution does. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Our Constitution also abolishes the practice of untouchability. Most modern constitutions and democratic governments have formally accepted the principle of equality and incorporated it as identical treatment by law to all citizens without any regard to their caste, race, religion or gender.

In our country we have adopted a policy of quotas or reserved seats in education and jobs to provide equality of opportunity to deprived groups.

Justice = Justice does not only mean doing good to our friends and harm to our enemies, or pursuing our own interests. Justice involves the well-being of all people

Equal Treatment for Equals = principle of treating equals equally. It is considered that all individuals share certain characteristics as human beings. Therefore they deserve equal rights and equal treatment. Some of the important rights which are granted in most liberal democracies today include civil rights such as the rights of life, liberty and property, political rights like the right to vote, which enable people to participate in political processes, and certain social rights which would include the right to enjoy equal opportunities with other members of the society.

[Type text] Page 2

Polity, Class - XI

Equal treatment for equals, recognition of different efforts and skills while determining rewards and burdens, and provision of minimum standard of living and equal opportunities to the needy.

The well-known political philosopher, John Rawls. Rawls has argued that there could indeed be a rational justification for acknowledging the need to provide help to the least privileged members of a society.

Only way we can arrive at a fair and just rule is if we imagine ourselves to be in a situation in which we have to make decisions about how society should be organized although we do not know which position we would ourselves occupy in that society. That is, we do not know what kind of family we would be born in, whether we would be born into an ‘upper’ caste or ‘lower’ caste family, rich or poor, privileged or disadvantaged.

Wearing the imagined veil of ignorance is the first step in arriving at a system of fair laws and policies. Rational thinking, not morality, could lead us to be fair and judge impartially regarding how to distribute the benefits and burdens of a society.

[Type text] Page 3