Re: Equality: Fundamental Truth, or necessary sham?

[Matthew Hodgetts <matthew.hodgetts@gmail.com>]

We do need to distinguish these 'actualised' and 'potential' equalities, and Andy seems to have done this. I am not so sure about your point at the bottom Edward, where you suggest that we ought at least to assume that we all have the same 'potential equality.' Whether or not we do would seem to be a scientific fact (and the psychology I've studied would suggest that we are not born the same) and not simply a matter of opinion nor a goal of society (since we cannot, yet, change these personality traits, 'personality' being construed in the widest sense, including intelligence etc). Nevertheless society does seem to have some ideals concerning 'equality,' and I think we can say that the ideal is either 1) everyone should be made equal and 2) everyone should have equality of opportunity. 1 is clearly not practical nor I think desirable (why should the Prime Minister receive the same money as a shop worker) but 2 would seem to be something that we should aim for. I suppose that 'equality of opportunity' is somewhat unclear, but I suppose it involves not discriminating on things like social background, even if we shall have to discriminate on some grounds ( 
e.g. universities discriminating on measures of intelligence etc when admitting students).
  
 Matt.