Introduction

The Philosophy of Equality

At least since the French Revolution, equality has served as one of the leading ideals of the body politic, and today remains one of the key tenets in modern Western democracies. But is equality always a good thing? Is it fair? And to what extent should the State play a part in enforcing equality? In this course, we explore the philosophical concept of equality, demonstrating that ‘equality’ may not be as uncontroversial as it first appears.

Introduction

In this module, Nik introduces the concept of equality, why it has been (and will continue to be) important in modern politics and economics, and three ways in which we might begin thinking about it.