Theme

Philosophy quotes about equality

Equality appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat equality as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.

Why this theme matters

Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Mary Wollstonecraft and John Locke), equality is framed through Feminist Philosophy and British Empiricism. Some passages define equality; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language.

In the history of philosophy

Discussions of equality travel through European modern and modern European traditions. Compare the quotations below with their school labels rather than forcing a single definition.

Thinkers in this collection

The Great Learning , Mary Wollstonecraft , John Locke , Zhuangzi , René Descartes , John Stuart Mill , Christine de Pizan

Frequently asked questions

What did philosophers say about equality?

They disagreed in productive ways. In this archive, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Locke, and related voices treat equality as something to clarify, cultivate, or critique—not merely to celebrate.

Where can I find philosophy quotes about equality?

This theme page gathers 9 verified English quotations tagged Equality, with links to thinkers and sources.

How should I read quotes about equality?

Read the sentence, then check school and source. A compact line is an entry point into an argument about equality, not a substitute for the surrounding text.

  1. From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all alike take the cultivation of the person as the root.
  2. I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves.
  3. The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it…Reason…teaches all mankind…that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.
  4. Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly…He did not know whether Zhou had dreamed he was a butterfly, or a butterfly was dreaming it was Zhou.
  5. Good sense is the best distributed thing in the world.
  6. It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.
  7. Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.
  8. Heaven and earth were born together with me, and the myriad things and I are one.
  9. My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces.
  10. It is time to effect a revolution in female manners—time to restore to them their lost dignity—and make them, as a part of the human species, labour by reforming themselves to reform the world.
  11. There is not the slightest doubt that women belong to the people of God and the human race as much as men.
  12. Just as women's bodies are softer than men's, so their understanding is more sharp and clever.
  13. Not all men (and especially the wisest) share the opinion that it is bad for women to be educated.