Is Equality Everyone Being Treated The Same?

[ChristineES]

Is equality everyone being treated the same? Is it even possible to treat everyone the same? Is being treated the same as being fair or not? Do we all have to receive the same things as everyone else in order for everything to be "fair"?

Discuss, please (if you want) (remember that it is a discussion and not a debate, I am interested in everyone's pov.)

 

[Songbird]

To me equality is viewing everyone as having the same value, having equal weight. Treating people the same isn't possible, nor is even fair treatment sometimes. But striving for fairness is possible and desirable.

 

[Sunstone]

There are different kinds of equalities. If you are referring to whether everyone is equal as a human and thus deserves, say, to be treated the same under the law, then equality is fair and reasonable. But if you are referring to whether everyone is equally gifted as a musician, and thus equally deserves to be paid to perform, then equality is unfair and unreasonable.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Is equality everyone being treated the same? Is it even possible to treat everyone the same? Is being treated the same as being fair or not? Do we all have to receive the same things as everyone else in order for everything to be "fair"?

I think that equality is treating everyone the same, but I also think that people often use the word "equal" when they really mean "equitable".

IMO, equal isn't always fair, but equitable is. However, equitable doesn't always mean equal.

 

[Random]

Equality is not identical to 'sameness', it refers to the principle of redress whereby the disparity in human relations or other things (such as opportunity, income etc) is lessened.

 

[internationalist]

The golden rule.

 

[Kodanshi]

Equality in the sense of opportunity or giving people the same services. But I work in customer service and I wouldn’t treat a wheelchair user the same way as someone visually impaired. In that case, to give them the same service, I need to treat everyone according to their individual needs.

 

[Straw Dog]

Is equality everyone being treated the same? Is it even possible to treat everyone the same? Is being treated the same as being fair or not? Do we all have to receive the same things as everyone else in order for everything to be "fair"?

Discuss, please (if you want) (remember that it is a discussion and not a debate, I am interested in everyone's pov.)

I think that equality is nothing more than treating others as you would have others treat you, if you were them. Does this imply that we all have to share with everyone else to be fair? I think so in order to have internal consistency. I don't believe in treating self before others anymore than in treating others before self. They must be one and the same so as to create equality.

 

[Barcode]

Good question.

Since it is logically impossible to treat people the same I tend to define equality on the basis of individual value, as valuing things appropriately if that makes sense. As one member put it, there are varying degrees of equality however as I previously mentioned I tend to look at equality on the basis of individual value not sameness.

 

[Kathryn]

I believe that equal opportunity is just that - equal OPPORTUNITY, not equal treatment. In other words, leveling the playing field.

I have four children. Each is amazingly unique. Each has talents and weaknesses. I learned very quickly that what worked with one child discipline-wise (or as encouragement) didn't necessarily work with another child. So the point was that I disciplined and encouraged FAIRLY - not THE SAME.

One child responds to and needs lots of quality time. Another - little gifts or notes. Another - public praise. One child needed, quite frankly, to be spanked on occasion - or just the THREAT of a spanking. Her sister? I could have beat her into the ground and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference - but time out standing in the corner worked wonders. My youngest son responded best to having to write out what he had done wrong and how he could have handled it better.

The point, the challenge, and the requirement of effective parenting though, is consistent and fair discipline and encouragement - and the best method differs depending on each individual child.

 

[McBell]

The golden rule.

The Platinum Rule.

Ha, I win cause I used capitalization, a bigger font, made it a link, AND emboldened it.

 

[jarofthoughts]

Is equality everyone being treated the same?

No.

Is it even possible to treat everyone the same?

No.

Is being treated the same as being fair or not?

No.

Do we all have to receive the same things as everyone else in order for everything to be "fair"?

No.

I actually use these questions in discussions with my fifth grade pupils, and they invariably reach the conclusions above.

 

[McBell]

Is equality everyone being treated the same?

No.

Is it even possible to treat everyone the same?

No.

Is being treated the same as being fair or not?

No.

Do we all have to receive the same things as everyone else in order for everything to be "fair"?

No.

 

[jarofthoughts]

To me equality is viewing everyone as having the same value, having equal weight.

But is that really true?
Do everyone have the same value?
In what situations and in relation to whom?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

It depend on the "Context"
in the Christian context it is recognition that God loves us all equally.
In the context of the tax laws, equality has never been an option.

 

[Panda]

In the context of the law it is important. In terms of day to day it is not possible or desired. I am not going to treat a random stranger in the same way as my best friend (not sure they would appreciate me jumping on them)

 

[Barcode]

Not making it a debate but what about male push-ups versus female push-ups?

A buddy of mine who is joining the police force recently did the fitness test for our local police department. According to him the push-up regimen is different for women than men, so is the sit ups and even the 1 and 1 half mile run.

If there was a such thing as equality there shouldn't be no gender differences in these standards. Everyone follows same guideline.

 

[Kodanshi]

That’s why I said treat people according to their individual needs. We may have equal rights, but men and women’s bodies differ.

 

[Barcode]

That’s why I said treat people according to their individual needs. We may have equal rights, but men and women’s bodies differ.

Biological differences should not matter when it comes to equality. Limitations are unique to individuals not genders-Plays Devil's Advocate

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

men and women have to pass the same tests when they join UK forces.
Physically some men do far better than they need, women rather less so.
Women do better than men in the exam situations. But both have to get pass grades in everything.

Interestingly Women are doing far better in the promotion stakes than they used to.
The last CO of the Royal horse Artillery was a woman.