OSHER 121 - All People Are Created Equal

The Declaration of Independence says that all human beings are equal and endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This basic human equality is fundamental to our political tradition and underlies not only the demand for basic rights but also for other things such as equal opportunity, democracy, equal voting rights, the rule of law, non-discrimination, tolerance, etc. But are people equal? And, if so, in what sense? People differ in many factual ways, but there is nothing odd about one person saying to another: "You may be wealthier, more powerful, smarter, prettier than me but I am just as good as you as a human being." How should we understand this basic moral equality of all persons? How can we justify it?