Is equality a worthwhile goal?
Everywhere the shout is for greater equality. Unequal societies, we are told by some, are less happy. More equal societies, we are told, are more stable and contented. But one of the greatest assets about the human race lies in its variety. We all have different tastes and different talents. We value things differently, and through our choices, we give expression to our unique characters. Freedom is valuable because it allows people to give effect to their own values and to live by the precepts they think are important.
It is because we are different that we co-operate in trade, with each party to an exchange preferring what the other offers. Some of us are talented at music or sports, and have abilities that others enjoy seeing us exercise. Some of us are creative and can think of new ideas to offer. Some of us are risk-takers, eager to undertake new ventures in the hope of success.
This diverse and pulsating pool of different talents is what enables human beings to progress, to innovate, to strive for excellence. People who want equality more than freedom are sacrificing the diversity that makes people strive for different goals, and they are compromising the creativity that leads humanity to improve and to progress.
Some people imagine a world in their mind in which people are equal. This is not the real world with its rich diversity, so they often try to make that real world behave like the imagined one. In doing so they sacrifice the freedom that enables people to live by their own values, and the variety that provides examples we might choose to emulate if we can.
It is not equality we should value, but opportunity. An equal, but static society is less likely to provide people with the chances of fulfillment than one that allows them to advance towards the goals they think worthwhile. Adam Smith spoke of
’The uniform, constant, and uninterrupted effort of every man to better his condition . . . is frequently powerful enough to maintain the natural progress of things toward improvement, in spite both of the extravagance of government, and of the greatest errors of administration.’
Precisely. This is about opportunity, advancement and progress. It is not about equality, the mythical beast that eludes us when we try to ensnare it.
Dr Madsen Pirie