Explain the mutual relationship between Equality and Liberty.
Answers
Explanation:
Liberty and Equality are closely related to each other. There is no value of liberty in the absence of equality. They are the same conditions viewed from different angles. They are the two sides of the same coin. Though there is a close relationship between liberty and equality, yet there are some political thinkers who do not find any relationship between liberty and equality. For example, Lord Acton and De Tocqueville who were the ardent advocates of liberty, found no relationship between the two conditions.
To them liberty and equality were antagonistic and antithetical to each other. Lord Acton maintains that “The passion for equality made vain the hope for liberty”. Such political thinkers maintain that where there is liberty, there is no equality and vice versa. These political thinkers are of the opinion that people were conferred inequality by nature. We find inequality in nature also.
In some parts there are rivers while in others there are mountains and in still other parts there are plains and fields. No two persons are similar in their ability and capacity. And so there cannot be equality in society.
The views of Lord Acton and De Tocqueville are not accepted by modern political thinkers. Professor H.J. Laski has very aptly remarked in this connection: “To persons so ardent for liberty as Tocqueville and Lord Acton, liberty and equality, are antithetic things. It is a drastic conclusion. But it turns, in the case of both men, upon a misunderstanding of what equality implies”.
These days, it is generally believed that liberty and equality should go together. If an individual is given unrestrained liberty to do whatever he likes, he will cause harm to others. There will be chaos in society if individuals are given unrestrained liberty.
In the nineteenth century, the Individualists wrongly interpreted the term ‘Liberty’. They did not attach any importance to economic equality and laid stress on Laissez Faire to be adopted by the government. Adam Smith was the ardent advocate of this view.
The Individualists maintained that there should be a free competition between the capitalists and labour leaders. They did not want the government to interfere in the economic matters. Formula of Demand and Supply should be adopted.
All the economic difficulties will be removed by this formula. If there will be excess of commodities and easy availability of labour, prices will come down. If there is scarcity, prices will rise higher and higher. This formula was implemented in England and in many other countries of Europe and it resulted in dangerous consequences.
Mutual relationship between Equality and Liberty are mentioned below :
- These two factors are closely related to each other as their is no value of both in the absence of each other.
- Every individual has the right to associate these two factors together so that there is no chaos in the society.
- According to the famous political thinker 'Francis Wright' ; liberty and equality see always complementary to each other.