Skip to content
quotesby

To rest the case for equal treatment of national or racial minorities on the assumption that they do not differ from other men is implicitly to admit that factual inequality would justify unequal treatment, and the proof that some differences do, in fact, exist would not be long in forthcoming. It is of the essence of the demand for equality before the law that people should be treated alike in spite of the fact that they are different.

Friedrich Hayek#65

Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.

EqualityJusticeLawTreatment

About this quote

What does it mean?
Equality before the law means treating people alike regardless of factual differences.
In plain terms
Law should ignore differences to ensure equal treatment.
What can you take from it?
True equality ignores factual differences.

Where it applies

  • legal debates
  • civil rights

Putting it to work

  • enforce impartial laws
  • avoid preferential rules

Questions to consider

  • What is equality?
  • Do differences matter legally?

Another view

Ignoring differences can sometimes overlook needed accommodations.

More from Friedrich Hayek

  1. Inflation is probably the most important single factor in that vicious circle wherein one kind of government action makes more and more government control nece…

    Permalink to quote #64
  2. The great aim of the struggle for liberty has been equality before the law.

    Permalink to quote #66
  3. If this is the degree of inflation planned for in advance, the real outcome is indeed likely to be such that most of those who will retire at the end of the ce…

    Permalink to quote #63

Related quotes

  1. Wir durfen nicht zulassen, da? die Starke des Rechts durch das Recht des Starkeren ersetzt wird.

    Gerhard SchroderGerhard Schroder quote #1
  2. I work not only for the OJs, but also the No Js. - In reference to many low income clients he represented.[1]

    Johnnie CochranJohnnie Cochran quote #2
  3. It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes. Distinctions in society will always exist und…

    Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson quote #6