Thoughts of Famous Equality Quotes in English and Sayings
Equality quotes in English serve as profound reflections of the fundamental principles of fairness, justice, and inherent respect for every individual, irrespective of their background, race, gender, or identity. These poignant expressions distill the essence of what it means to advocate for human dignity and equal rights, highlighting the universal pursuit of social justice.
Here’s a list of famous equality quotes with detailed meanings and examples:
1. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." — Martin Luther King Jr.
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Meaning: King argues that when injustice exists in one part of society, it endangers justice as a whole. A fair society must be committed to equality and oppose oppression wherever it arises.
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Example: When a worker witnesses discrimination in the workplace and chooses to speak up, they’re recognizing that tolerating any unfair treatment could lead to more widespread inequality.
2. "We are all equal in the fact that we are all different." — C. JoyBell C.
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Meaning: This quote celebrates diversity, suggesting that true equality respects everyone’s unique qualities rather than insisting on sameness.
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Example: A classroom of students comes from different backgrounds, each bringing something valuable to the group, showing that diversity is a strength rather than a barrier to equality.
3. "Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it." — Frances Wright
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Meaning: Wright argues that true freedom can only exist in a society where everyone is treated equally. Without equality, freedom becomes limited to only certain groups.
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Example: In a country where only some citizens have voting rights, true liberty is compromised, as equal rights form the foundation of democratic freedom.
4. "Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society." — Sonia Sotomayor
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Meaning: Justice Sotomayor points out that education is crucial to achieving societal equality. Without equal access to quality education, social and economic inequality persists.
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Example: An underfunded school struggles to provide resources to its students, highlighting how disparities in education lead to long-term barriers for certain communities.
5. "There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives." — Audre Lorde
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Meaning: Lorde emphasizes that equality is multifaceted; issues like race, gender, and socioeconomic status are interconnected, meaning that fighting for equality in one area often supports equality in others.
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Example: A workplace that adopts policies for both racial and gender equality recognizes that many employees face overlapping challenges, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to fairness.
6. "When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people, they will build a peaceful, sustainable, and just society." — Aung San Suu Kyi
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Meaning: Suu Kyi suggests that peace and sustainability come from a foundation of human rights and equality. When people are treated with dignity, they contribute positively to society.
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Example: A community that embraces equality and inclusion, providing healthcare and opportunities to all, tends to have lower crime rates and a more engaged populace.
7. "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." — Michelle Obama
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Meaning: Obama’s quote is a powerful reminder of the potential within women when they are treated with equality and given opportunities to succeed.
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Example: A young woman pursuing a career in science looks up to role models like Michelle Obama, recognizing that with equal support, her dreams are limitless.
8. "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion." — Nelson Mandela
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Meaning: Mandela emphasizes that prejudice is learned, not innate. By fostering equality and understanding from a young age, we can prevent hate and discrimination.
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Example: A school implements an anti-bullying program that promotes diversity and understanding, helping children grow up respecting differences.
9. "Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation." — Coretta Scott King
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Meaning: King argues that each generation must actively work for freedom and equality, as these ideals can be eroded over time if taken for granted.
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Example: Young activists continue to campaign for LGBTQ+ rights, understanding that progress made in the past requires ongoing effort to maintain equality.
10. "I raise up my voice—not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard." — Malala Yousafzai
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Meaning: Malala’s quote underscores the importance of advocating for the marginalized. Equality often requires amplifying the voices of those who are silenced or overlooked.
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Example: A student speaks out about the lack of accessibility for disabled classmates, bringing attention to an inequality that needs addressing within their school.
11. "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." — Martin Luther King Jr.
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Meaning: King suggests that true fulfillment comes from caring about the well-being of others and advocating for equality on a broad scale, beyond personal interests.
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Example: A business leader who works to ensure fair wages for all employees understands that supporting equality benefits the whole society, not just the company.
12. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." — Eleanor Roosevelt
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Meaning: Roosevelt encourages self-confidence and resilience, suggesting that equality begins with self-worth and refusing to accept others' prejudiced opinions.
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Example: When faced with discrimination, a young woman remains confident in her abilities, recognizing that her worth isn’t defined by others’ biases.
13. "To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity." — Nelson Mandela
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Meaning: Mandela’s quote asserts that denying basic rights strips people of dignity and equality. Recognizing human rights is essential for acknowledging everyone’s humanity.
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Example: A person advocating for prison reform argues that inmates deserve humane treatment, understanding that everyone’s dignity should be respected.
14. "If you want to be free, be prepared to be challenged." — Paulo Coelho
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Meaning: Coelho highlights that the pursuit of equality and freedom often meets resistance. Achieving these ideals requires resilience and courage.
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Example: An activist fighting for environmental justice faces opposition but continues to speak up, knowing that true freedom and equality require persistence.
15. "True equality means holding everyone accountable in the same way, regardless of race, gender, faith, ethnicity, or political ideology." — Monica Crowley
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Meaning: Crowley stresses that equality means applying rules and standards fairly to everyone, without bias.
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Example: In the workplace, managers enforce policies consistently for all employees, regardless of their background, creating a fair environment for everyone.
16. "Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization." — Mahatma Gandhi
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Meaning: Gandhi emphasizes that a society’s strength lies in its ability to embrace diversity and uphold equality, fostering unity through respect for all.
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Example: A multicultural community celebrates different holidays together, building bonds and showing that respect for diversity enhances unity.
17. "Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both." — Eleanor Roosevelt
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Meaning: Roosevelt argues that justice requires equality; treating one group fairly while ignoring another’s rights isn’t true justice.
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Example: During a legal case, advocates fight to ensure all parties receive a fair hearing, promoting a balanced system where all are treated with respect.
18. "You don’t fight racism with racism, the best way to fight racism is with solidarity." — Bobby Seale
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Meaning: Seale emphasizes that the fight for equality should be based on unity and mutual respect rather than perpetuating division.
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Example: A coalition of diverse groups works together to address racial injustice, showing that solidarity across communities strengthens the fight for equality.
19. "Equality is not in regarding different things similarly, equality is in regarding different things differently." — Tom Robbins
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Meaning: Robbins suggests that equality doesn’t mean treating everyone exactly the same; it means acknowledging and respecting individual needs and differences.
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Example: An inclusive workplace offers accommodations for disabled employees, recognizing that fair treatment may require tailored support.
20. "You cannot be an equal partner in a world that sees you as less than human." — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Meaning: Adichie stresses that true partnership and equality only happen when all people are recognized as equally valuable and human.
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Example: A movement advocating for women’s rights focuses on challenging harmful stereotypes, promoting the idea that all genders deserve equal respect.
These quotes emphasize the importance of equality in various aspects of life, from justice and freedom to diversity and human rights, offering perspectives on how to build a more inclusive society.
Notable figures in history have articulated these sentiments with remarkable clarity and impact. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. famously proclaimed, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This powerful statement underscores the idea that human rights are not isolated issues; rather, they are interconnected threads that weave the fabric of global justice. When injustices occur in one part of the world, they reverberate throughout society, threatening the fundamental rights and liberties of all. This interconnectedness calls for a collective awareness and an unwavering commitment to uphold justice in every community.
Eleanor Roosevelt, a champion of human rights, further encapsulated the grassroots nature of equality with her poignant assertion: "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home." Her words remind us that the fight for equality does not only take place on grand stages or in legislative halls; it begins in the everyday interactions and relationships within our own communities. It is in these small places that respect, understanding, and empathy can flourish, fostering an environment where equality can truly thrive.
These quotes serve not only as historical reflections but also as powerful reminders of the ongoing struggle for equal rights. They inspire individuals and communities to recognize their role in advocating for justice and to engage in collective action aimed at building a more equitable society. By embracing these ideals, we can work towards dismantling systemic injustices and creating a world where fairness and respect are afforded to all. In this way, equality quotes become not just words on a page, but a clarion call for social change and a more just future.
Thought of the day Equality
We are all brothers under the skin - and I, for one, would be willing to skin humanity to prove it.
- Ayn Rand Thoughts
I believe music is a place everyone of us can go to. I don’t care who you are, where you were born, what you do with your life. Everyone can come here in music and be equal. - Hayley Williams |
Men know that women are an overmatch for them, and therefore they choose the weakest or the most ignorant. If they did not think so, they never could be afraid of women knowing as much as themselves. - Samuel Johnson |
Equality is not the empirical claim that all groups of humans are interchangeable; it is the moral principle that individuals should not be judged or constrained by the average properties of their group. - Steven Pinker |
We were all here to learn. He was the one who had a problem, not I. Perhaps it was time for fathers to teach their sons how to behave around young women. They were not born superior, no matter how society falsely conditioned them. We were all equals here. - Kerri Maniscalco |
Both liberty and equality are among the primary goals pursued by human beings throughout many centuries; but total liberty for wolves is death to the lambs, total liberty of the powerful, the gifted, is not compatible with the rights to a decent existence of the weak and the less gifted. - Isaiah Berlin |
I believe in recognizing every human being as a human being--neither white, black, brown, or red; and when you are dealing with humanity as a family there's no question of integration or intermarriage. It's just one human being marrying another human being or one human being living around and with another human being. - Malcolm X |
Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's confronted with it. We need equality. Kinda now. - Joss Whedon |
We are all equal in the fact that we are all different. We are all the same in the fact that we will never be the same. We are united by the reality that all colours and all cultures are distinct & individual. We are harmonious in the reality that we are all held to this earth by the same gravity. We don't share blood, but we share the air that keeps us alive. I will not blind myself and say that my black brother is not different from me. I will not blind myself and say that my brown sister is not different from me. But my black brother is he as much as I am me. But my brown sister is she as much as I am me. - C. JoyBell C. |
At first, man was enslaved by the gods. But he broke their chains. Then he was enslaved by the kings. But he broke their chains. He was enslaved by his birth, by his kin, by his race. But he broke their chains. He declared to all his brothers that a man has rights which neither god nor king nor other men can take away from him, no matter what their number, for his is the right of man, and there is no right on earth above this right. And he stood on the threshold of freedom for which the blood of the centuries behind him had been spilled. - Ayn Rand, Anthem |
To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman? - Mahatma Gandhi |
Equality Sayings List in English |
Men are born equal but they are also born different. - Erich Fromm |
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition. - Timothy Leary Quotation |
Before God we are all equally wise and equally foolish. - A Quotation From Albert Einstein |
Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. - Marie Shear |
Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior. - Socrates |
Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it. - George Carlin |
Being useful to others is not the same thing as being equal. - N.K. Jemisin |
If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me. - W.H. Auden |
If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. - Shirley Chisholm |
Equality consists in the same treatment of similar persons. - Aristotle |
If all things were equally in all men, nothing would be prized. Thomas Hobbes |
Because when there is true equality, resentment does not exist. - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. - George Orwell |
Equality… is the result of human organization. We are not born equal. - Hannah Arendt |
I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers. - Mohandas Gandhi |
Men are equal; it is not birth but virtue that makes the difference. - Voltaire |
It may be a man's world, but men are easily controlled by women. - Ashly Lorenzana |
Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion. - Thomas Jefferson |
The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal. - Aristotle |
I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers. - Mahatma Gandhi |
The Ego is a veil between humans and God." “In prayer all are equal. - Rumi |
When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. - Franklin Leonard |
By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments. St. Thomas Aquinas |
Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it. - Frances Wright |
The defect of equality is that we only desire it with our superiors. Henry Becque |
The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law. - Aristotle |
The white man's happiness cannot be purchased by the black man's misery. - Frederick Douglass |
Equality of opportunity is an equal opportunity to prove unequal talents. - Viscount Samuel |
Women rescue men just as much as, if not more than, men rescue women. - Criss Jami |
Coming generations will learn equality from poverty, and love from woes. - Khalil Gibran |
All people are equal, it is not birth, it is virtue alone that makes the difference. Voltaire |
As equality increases, so does the number of people struggling for predominance. Mason Cooley |
Equality may be a fiction but nonetheless one must accept it as a governing principle. - Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar |
I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals. - Winston S. Churchill |
All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free. Voltaire |
Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact. Honore de Balzac |
A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men. - Gloria Steinem |
A state that does not educate and train women is like a man who only trains his right arm. - Jostein Gaarder |
You learn about equality in history and civics, but you find out life is not really like that. Arthur Ashe |
If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things. - Plato |
More countries have understood that women's equality is a prerequisite for development. Kofi Annan |
As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. - Abraham Lincoln |
Equality Thought in English |
Chains of gold are still chains. - Robert Thier Download or Share |
We are all alike, on the inside. - Equality Quotes by Mark Twain Download or Share |
The sole equality on earth is death. - Philip James Bailey Download or Share |
All men are equal before fish. Herbert Hoover Download or Share |
Six feet of earth make all men equal. - Proverb |
Perfect love cannot be without equality. Scottish Proverb |
The love of democracy is that of equality. - Charles de Montesquieu Quotes |
All imaginable futures are not equally possible. Kevin Kelly Download or Share |
Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish. - Albert Einstein Download or Share |
As men, we are all equal in the presence of death. - Publilius Syrus Download or Share |
No man is above the law, and no man is below it. - Theodore Roosevelt Download or Share |
Equality Quotation in English |
Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions. It only guarantees equality of opportunity. - Irving Kristol |
Race, gender, religion, sexuality, we are all people and that's it. We're all people. We're all equal. - Connor Franta |
We are all brothers under the skin - and I, for one, would be willing to skin humanity to prove it. - Ayn Rand * |
The mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few to ride them. Thomas Jefferson |
Democracy arose from men's thinking that if they are equal in any respect, they are equal absolutely. - Aristotle |
The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes. Bella Abzug |
Some will always be above others. Destroy the inequality today, and it will appear again tomorrow. Ralph Waldo Emerson |
The principle of equality does not destroy the imagination, but lowers its flight to the level of the earth. Alexis de Tocqueville |
I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been. - William Golding |
Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. - John Locke |
The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them, high or lowly, and ordered their estate. - Cecil Frances Alexander |
Equality is not in regarding different things similarly, equality is in regarding different things differently. - Tom Robbins |
In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth, women are not merely tolerated but valued. - Aung San Suu Kyi |
That all men are equal is a proposition which, at ordinary times, no sane individual has ever given his assent. Aldous Huxley |
All this talk about equality. The only thing people really have in common is that they are all going to die. Bob Dylan |
Beauty provokes harassment, the law says, but it looks through men's eyes when deciding what provokes it. - Naomi Wolf |
That all men are equal is a proposition which, at ordinary times, no sane individual has ever given his assent. - Aldous Huxley |
Genuine equality means not treating everyone the same, but attending equally to everyone’s different needs. - Terry Eagleton |
Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it. - Malcolm X |
Equality is the share of every one at their advent upon earth, and equality is also theirs, when placed beneath it. Ninon de L'Enclos |
People are pretty much alike. It's only that our differences are more susceptible to definition than our similarities. Linda Ellerbee |
There has to be positive action that allows the most disadvantaged people to get their fair share of job opportunities. Paul Burton |
It is not true that equality is a law of nature. Nature has no equality. Is sovereign law is subordination and dependence. - Marquis de Vauvenargues |
The likelihood that inborn differences are one contributor to social status does not mean that it is the only contributor. Steven Pinker |
I'm not intimidated by anyone. Everyone is made with two arms, two legs, a stomach and a head. Just think about that. - Josephine Baker |
It is not true that equality is a law of nature. Nature has no equality. Its sovereign law is subordination and dependence. Marquis De Vauvenargues |
Equality is treating everyone the same. But equity is taking differences into account, so everyone has a chance to succeed. - Jodi Picoult |
Equality Quotes List |
A fair and just society offers equality of opportunity to all. But it cannot promise, and should not try to enforce, sameness. - Christina Hoff Sommers |
As many political writers have pointed out, commitment to political equality is not an empirical claim that people are clones. - Steven Pinker |
No advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimeter nearer. George Orwell |
These men ask for just the same thing: fairness, and fairness only. This is, so far as in my power, they, and all others, shall have. - Abraham Lincoln |
A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both. - Milton Friedman |
The moment a little boy is concerned with which is a jay and which is a sparrow, he can no longer see the birds or hear them sing. - Eric Berne |
To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color is like living in Alaska and being against snow. William Faulkner |
Liberty, equality - bad principles! The only true principle for humanity is justice; and justice to the feeble is protection and kindness. Henri Frederic Amiel |
People have the right to call themselves whatever they like. That doesn't bother me. It's other people doing the calling that bothers me. - Octavia E. Butler |
All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others. - Douglas Adams |
Democracy is in the blood of the Muslims, who look upon complete equality of mankind, and believe in fraternity, equality, and liberty. - Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. - Thucydides |
Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality. - Adam Clayton Powell Jr. |
In the true married relationship, the independence of husband and wife will be equal, their dependence mutual, and their obligations reciprocal. - Lucretia Mott |
One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man. Marlo Thomas |
I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives. - Jane Austen |
I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all mean are created free and equal. - Seth Grahame-Smith |
Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought. - Kathryn Stockett |
Equality and freedom are not luxuries to lightly cast aside. Without them, order cannot long endure before approaching depths beyond imagining. - Alan Moore, V for Vendetta |
From the equality of rights springs identity of our highest interests; you cannot subvert your neighbor's rights without striking a dangerous blow at your own. - Carl Shurz |
If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. - Equality Quotes by Aristotle |
So far is it from being true that men are naturally equal, that no two people can be half an hour together, but one shall acquire an evident superiority over the other. Samuel Johnson |
Equality before the law is probably forever unattainable. It is a noble ideal, but it can never be realized, for what men value in this world is not rights but privileges. - H.L. Mencken |
Just as modern mass production requires the standardization of commodities, so the social process requires standardization of man, and this standardization is called equality. Erich Fromm |
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness Thomas Jefferson |
If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. Aristotle |
I don't think I could ever work in such a blatantly hierarchical corporate setting. I know that everyone in this world is not equal, but I can't bear environments that make this truth so obvious. - Peter Cameron |
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. - Us declaration of Independence |
In America everybody is of the opinion that he has no social superiors, since all men are equal, but he does not admit that he has no social inferiors, for, from the time of Jefferson onward, the doctrine that all men are equal applies only upwards, not downwards. - Bertrand Russell |
The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included. Literature, she thought, is a commonwealth; letters a republic. - Alan Bennett |
As you grow up, always tell the truth, do no harm to others, and don't think you are the most important being on earth. Rich or poor, you then can look anyone in the eye and say, 'I'm probably no better than you, but I'm certainly your equal. - Harper Lee |
Every actual democracy rests on the principle that not only are equals equal but unequals will not be treated equally. Democracy requires, therefore, first homogeneity and second - if the need arises elimination or eradication of heterogeneity. - Carl Schmitt |
Every job from the heart is, ultimately, of equal value. The nurse injects the syringe; the writer slides the pen; the farmer plows the dirt; the comedian draws the laughter. Monetary income is the perfect deceiver of a man's true worth. - Criss Jami, Killosophy |
We need to eliminate the concept of division by class, skills, race, income, religion, and nationality. Every human requires food and water to survive and every human has a heart that bleeds, loves, and grieves. - Suzy Kassem |
Equality is the public recognition, effectively expressed in institutions and manners, of the principle that an equal degree of attention is due to the needs of all human beings. -Simone Weil |
In the state of nature… all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law. - Quotes by Charles de Montesquieu |
I love man as my fellow; but his scepter, real, or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands my homage; and even then the submission is to reason, and not to man. - Mary Wollstonecraft |
