My Discord name on the Foxcraft server is noirdes - I would prefer not to post the tag publically, but it can easily be found there, where you, too, are located.
My Minecraft username is noirdes
Are all human beings truly equal?
A weighty question. "Equal" My first thought is 'yes' ... ideally. But ideal answers are often quick, ill-conceived, and designed to make us feel better. So what means equal? Different people mean different things by that, and many great arguments are conceived when two sides of an issue fail to use the same meanings.
From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
1a(1): of the same measure, quantity, amount, or number as another
Well, this one is certainly not accurate. Men are a minority compared to women. The members of different cultures and subcultures are not of equal numbers to each other. The number of albinos are not the same as the number of red-heads, are not the same as the number of Japanese-Americans originating specifically from the Kōchi Prefecture.
1a(2): identical in mathematical value or logical denotation : equivalent
Now this is an interesting definition. Are people identical in values related to logical or ethical calculation? Again, an ideal answer would be 'yes', but we know that is not the same. Many people put other's values above their own - Firefighters risk their lives over and over again, sometimes sacrificing their own lives, for the sake of drawing people from the flames. Those who would not rush into a burning building to save a man calling from the third floor would gladly dash in to save a child calling from the third floor. In the calculation of human behavior, people are not equal.
1b: like in quality, nature, or status
Now this would be an ideal world, but through a variety of complex situations ... this is not the case. I'm afraid this one is also a 'no'.
1c: like for each member of a group, class, or society provide equal employment opportunities
Equal opportunity in which way? Results are certainly not equal - different cultures and groups have different priorities when it comes to employment. Some culture groups do not seek certain employment opportunities as strongly as other culture groups.
Or is it that they are treated equally when it comes to the view of the employer? Also not true. Even aside from appropriate experience and training for employment, there's a host of things which could affect employment opportunities - familiarity of name, time of day that one's application is received, how recently the employer has eaten when reviewing the application, and legion of other tiny deciders that we do not even realize are affecting us on a day to day basis.
2: regarding or affecting all objects in the same way : impartial
Not at all, nor would we wish it. We want to be treated as our own individual people, we do not wish to be treated in the same way as someone else. We want our likes, our preferences, our strengths, and our weaknesses to be taken into consideration with how we are treated.
3: free from extremes: such as
3a: tranquil in mind or mood
Tranquility is a journey whose goal is ever moving.
3b: not showing variation in appearance, structure, or proportion
We have a great and wondrous excess of choice when it comes to the many variations of humanity.
4a: capable of meeting the requirements of a situation or a task
And not at all - everyone has their own strengths and history, making each of them suitable for different tasks and situations. This is why teamwork is so important.
Alas, for all meanings, I cannot find a value of equality which comes up with a 'yes'. But then, equality is not an achievable task - or, in some situations, even desirable. What we should seek for equality is 'fairness' - and it is within ourselves. To each person we meet, let us examine our own assumptions and influences, and let us understand, within our own realm of safety and security, the humanity of that individual. Let us listen to those who are different from us in mind and in body, and always understand that each and every one of us is wrong in some critical manner which would sabotage our very self-image if it were to be made obvious to us ... so let us also be understanding of how others may be wrong in some critical manner which would affect them in a similar manner. For none of us are flawless, and none of us are omniscient, and the things which seem obvious and easy to us may not be so to others, and our understanding may not even be accurate, and it only seems obvious because we lack some critical fact that makes it more complex than we thought. It is only through variety, and kindness, and an eternal search for truth that our journey for a better humanity may traveled together.
