Equality and Universality: Essays in Social and Political Theory

Andre Beteille has for close to four decades contributed richly and incisively to the study of equality and inequality. Although based on the Indian experience, his work is animated by a broad comparative perspective. In these essays, he has sought to illuminate the Indian experience through the use of general concepts and methods, while extending those concepts and methods through an examination of the Indian reality. The present collection addresses issues of both social theory and social policy. There are discussions of the contradictions between the ideal of equality and the practice of inequality as well as of the antinomies of equality. Changes in the hierarchical structure of caste are brought to light along with the inequalities that accompany the rise and growth of the middle class. The limits to which a policy of greater equality can be carried are examined, and a case is made for universality, i.e., making certain basic rights and facilities universally available to all, irrespective of individual merit or need. The essays are written in a style that is both lucid and authoritative and will be of interest to teachers, and students of sociology, social anthropology, and politics as also other social sciences. Civil servants and policy makers, lawyers, journalists and others with a general interest in society and politics in India will also find this book equally useful.