Equlity. Good thing or not?

[poddster]

This is a simple poll (or is it );-)B-)]:)

The question is:-

Should all people be equal?

Give ita bit of thought before you answer.

If you answer Yes

Why did you answer in the affirmative?

Describe the :"equal" person that everyone should modeled on

If you answer No

Why did you answer in he negative?

[*crikey*mate*]

As far as education ....I don't believe that older age 'professional students' should have unlimited  credit on their fees if they do not plan to repay the money.

BTW - I'm pretty sure that the amount of credit extended to a university student of any age (let's not promote discrimination here) is not unlimited. To the best of my knowledge it is a capped amount - and the repayment of such credit is not a choice. Every person's income is involuntarily garnished by the tax department to repay the credit once they earn a certain amount per annum - I think it is $38,000 p/a (I could be wrong, but it's pretty low) regardless of whether they are still studying or how their income is derived.

And as for a plan to repay the money - what insurance is there that even a non "older age" student ever plans to repay the money? What insurance is there that they don't finish their study and never work?

[*crikey*mate*]

[i-need-a-martini]

It just goes to highlight the differences in atitude of the human condition showing the inequality of our species, regardless of the fine words of LIncoln.

In a society where equality existed there would be no enovation, no achievement, improvement or detererioration of the status quo would not exist.

There could be no individual thought and that society would eventually die of boredom

With all due respect, I believe that you (and a few others on here) are missing the point of what equality actually means. Comments like the ones above show that you confuse equality with sameness.

Equality is not about making everyone the same. Or giving everyone the same. Or allowing everyone to be the same.

Equality is not about a 'thing'. Or a job. Or a task.

Equality is about all INDIVIDUALS having the opportunity to live in society that provides a level playing field. A society that allows opportunities and removes barriers for those people in our society who can't achieve for whatever reason.

They may be female. They may be of different race. They may have a an intellectual disability. Or a physical one. Maybe they are old. Maybe they are overweight. Maybe they have committed a crime. Maybe they have a broken leg. Maybe they have lost their house in a fire.Whatever.

I'll use 2 examples noted on this thread:

RAPISTS AND MURDERERS

Equality applies to rapists and murderers. That not to say that they should have the opportunities I have such as my freedom. But they should have the same level of care that other prisoners would face. Or their sentence should be equal to what society expects. Inequality for rapists would be if some members of society went free after committing the crime whilst others were locked away for life.

LAZY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Equality applies to kids too lazy to do the work. Not that they should get the same marks. But they should have the same equal opportunity to learn as any child. And if that child has ANY difficulties which affect how s/he fits on that level playing field (be they intellectual, economic, cultural, whatever), then it is up to society to ensure that this child is given opportunities to level out that playing field. Inequality for a child failing at school would be if we gave up on that child or didn't do everything in our power to help him succeed.

And the only person who has nailed the real definition of equality is Iza with this comment: inequality will always thrive where their are people who see themselves as superior beings and others as inferior 

[i-need-a-martini]

Oh. And I 100% believe in equality.

Because equality is a big part of what makes a country civilised. You just have to look at South Africa to see what the outcome of inequality means.

[*crikey*mate*]

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/equality/

[poddster]

A bit of light reading there CM?

I wonder if it scared 'em all off?;-)

[poddster]

Oh. And I 100% believe in equality.

Because equality is a big part of what makes a country civilised. You just have to look at South Africa to see what the outcome of inequality means.

And after you have pondered South Africa you might like to examine Communist Russia where an attempt was made to enforce equality

[i-need-a-martini]

Perhaps you should read some of what Crikey posted Poddster?

Before they start looking at equality within a philosophical context, they state:

‘Equality’ needs to thus be distinguished from ‘identity’ — this concept signifying that one and the same object corresponds to itself in all its features: an object that can be referred to through various individual terms, proper names, or descriptions. For the same reason, it needs to be distinguished from ‘similarity’ — the concept of merely approximate correspondence (Dann 1975, p. 997; Menne 1962, p. 44 ff.; Westen 1990, pp. 39, 120). Thus, to say e.g. that men are equal is not to say that they are identical. Equality implies similarity rather than ‘sameness.’

In distinction to numerical identity, a judgment of equality presumes a difference between the things being compared. According to this definition, the notion of ‘complete’ or ‘absolute’ equality is self-contradictory. Two non-identical objects are never completely equal; they are different at least in their spatiotemporal location. If things do not differ they should not be called ‘equal,’ but rather, more precisely, ‘identical,’ as e.g., the morning and evening star. Here usage might vary. Some authors do consider absolute qualitative equality admissible as a borderline concept (Tugendhat & Wolf 1983, p. 170).

Not exactly your definition of equality now is it? 😉

[i-need-a-martini]

And after you have pondered South Africa you might like to examine Communist Russia where an attempt was made to enforce equality

You don't get it at all do you? 😐

Communism is not about equality. Communism is about sameness.

[the_great_she_elephant]

And after you have pondered South Africa you might like to examine Communist Russia where an attempt was made to enforce equality

You don't get it at all do you? 😐

Communism is not about equality. Communism is about sameness.

Give up while you still have your sanity, Martini. I think what we are dealing with here is  something the Catholic Church calls 'invincible Ignorance.'