Equality: Social and a Scientific Concept, Essay Example

Introduction

Equality can be thought of as both a social and a scientific concept. When two phenomena are posited to possess identical measurements, they can be referred to as equal: for example, two stones of the same length. In the social dimension, equality is defined in terms of the context of a particular society, such as the equality of rights between citizens. In both cases, however, speculation and simple empirical observation reveals that the notion of equality is radically more abstract. For example, is it possible to find two substances of equal measurement when considering that modern-day scientific measurements allow us to observe phenomena at the level of the yoctometer? In the case of the social, the American constitution claimed “that all men are created equal”, while slavery and the genocide of the Native Americans were facts of the American social existence. Accordingly, what is at first glance considered to be equal is perhaps not equal: equality would represent a certain type of abstract concept, which has no real manifestation.

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The Oxford English Dictionary defines equality in terms of sameness. Thus, things are to be defined as equal to the extent that they exhibit properties of sameness. In this regard, same could be considered as a synonym of equal. Same, however, has a connotation of resemblance. Things can be considered to be the same according to similarities, a similarity, however, which suggests that a difference is also possible. Equality, in contrast, ideally does not allow for any differences. Equality must be radically identical, especially when considered in terms of political equality.

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The only antonym given for equality is inequality. This suggests that equality is a fairly precise concept since it has only one antonym. Simultaneously, inequality suggests a very broad concept, while equality seems more singular. That is, inequality can vary in degrees, while equality implies a total identity between two or more terms. The inequality of, for example, women in society can vary: the inequality of women presented as their inability to vote or the inequality of women as their inability to earn as much in the work force. Equality to be true equality must be radically identical.

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Equality is a property that associates

Properties can be given to many different terms in order to express their possible relation, and equality in this regard can be considered a property. Moreover, equality associates because it brings together two or more terms under a principle of identity or sameness. The problem with such a definition, however, is that many things may be associated but lack equality. For example, coldness can be a property that associates two beings together, such as ice and a cold beer. However, ice and cold beer are not equal, neither in terms of temperature nor in material constitution.

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Equality suggests a certain abstract concept, because of the very vagueness of what it denotes. It is difficult to find true examples of things that could be considered equal. Accordingly, any examples of equality rather suggests notions such as sameness or similarity.