Three dimensions of equality and the ideologies

Thinkers and ideologies have identified three dimensions of equality. Only by addressing all three can a society become more just.

1. Political equality: equal citizenship for all, with basic rights such as the right to vote, freedom of expression, movement and association, and freedom of belief. These are legal rights. They are an important component of a just society, but not sufficient on their own: great inequality can exist even where everyone has equal rights.

2. Social equality: political equality must be supplemented by equality of opportunity, a 'level playing field'. People of different groups need a fair chance to compete, which requires guaranteeing minimum conditions of life: adequate health care, good education, enough nourishment and a minimum wage. Without them, much talent is wasted.

• In India, an extra problem comes from customs: in some groups women may not have equal inheritance rights, may be barred from certain activities, or discouraged from higher education. The state should make policies against discrimination and harassment and offer incentives to open education and professions to women; social groups and individuals should also raise awareness and support those claiming their rights.

3. Economic equality: economic inequality exists where there are significant differences in wealth, property or income between individuals or classes. It can be measured by the gap between richest and poorest, or by the number of people below the poverty line. Absolute equality of wealth has probably never existed; most democracies aim at equal opportunities so that talent and effort can improve one's position.

• Entrenched inequalities, those that stay untouched over generations, are the most dangerous: society splits between classes that keep wealth and power and classes that stay poor, breeding resentment and violence, and reform becomes difficult because of the power of the wealthy.

Ideologies of equality:

• Feminism: a doctrine of equal rights for women and men. Feminists blame patriarchy, a system that values men more than women and gives men power over them. They distinguish sex (biological difference) from gender (the roles society assigns): only women can bear children, but that does not mean only women should care for them. Most women also work outside the home yet remain responsible for housework, a 'double burden', while having little say in public decisions.
• Marxism: Marx argued that the root of entrenched inequality is private ownership of key resources (oil, land, forests, property), which gives owners wealth and political power. Marxists and socialists favour public control over essential resources.
• Liberalism: liberals uphold free and fair competition as the most just and efficient way to distribute rewards, with the state ensuring a minimum standard of living and equal opportunity (for example, regulating entrance tests so everyone gets a fair chance). Unlike socialists, they do not think political, economic and social inequalities are necessarily linked; their concern is unjust and entrenched inequality.
• Socialism in India: Rammanohar Lohia named five inequalities to be fought simultaneously: between man and woman, based on skin colour, caste-based, colonial rule of some countries over others, and economic inequality. He added two more revolutions, for civil liberties and for non-violence (satyagraha instead of weapons): together, the Sapta Kranti or seven revolutions.