Equal Rights

            “Citizenship, even in its early forms, was a principle of equality, and that during this period it was a developing institution. Starting at the point where all men were free and, in theory, capable of enjoying rights, it grew by enriching the body of rights which they were capable of enjoying. But these rights did not conflict with the inequalities of capitalist society; they were, on the contrary, necessary to the maintenance of that particular form of inequality. The explanation lies in the fact that the core of citizenship at this stage was composed of civil rights. And civil rights were indispensable to a competitive market economy. They gave to each man, as part of his individual status, the power to engage as an independent unit in the economic struggle and made it possible to deny to him social protection on the ground that he was equipped with the means to protect himself. Maine’s famous dictum that ‘the movement of the progressive societies has hitherto been a movement from Status to Contract’ expresses a profound truth which has been elaborated, gists, but it requires qualification. For both status and contract are present in all but the most primitive societies. Maine himself admitted this when, later in the same book, he wrote that the earliest feudal communities, as contrasted with their archaic predecessors, were ‘neither bound together by mere sentiment nor recruited by a fiction.  The tie which united them was Contract.’ But the contractual element in feudalism coexisted with a class system base on status and, as contract hardened into custom, it helped to perpetuate class status. Custom retained the form of mutual undertakings, but not the reality of a free agreement. Modern contract did not grow out of feudal contract; it marks a new development to whose progress feudalism was an obstacle that had to be swept aside. For modern contract is essentially an agreement between men who are free and equal in status, though not necessarily in power. Status was not eliminated from social system. Differential status, associated with class, function and family, was replaced by the single uniform status of citizenship, which provided the foundation of equality on which the structure of inequality could be built.”

This paragraph came from page 150 of the article “Citizenship and Social Class” written by T.H. Marshall. Marshall argues there are three elements ‘civil, political and social’ that divide citizenship. The beginning of this paragraph expresses how regular rights that came with citizenship didn’t bother the capitalist society. These regular rights didn’t interfere with capitalism and instead helped it with its inequality because of the economy. A Feudal contract is a contract between a "noble" person and a powerful person. In this case i believe the lower class people and a person from the upper class.  In this paragraph it is said the feudal contract hasn't really changed from the modern contract and it is true today because the lower class is working for the upper class. In the paragraph above they also discuss how class status became to be which is also used today. You have the poor class, working class, lower middle class, upper middle class, and upper class (Elite). Inequality is a big thing we are fighting for in this country, the civil right movement fought for equality for all. Social rights emerged from this. I believe political power came from social rights because the upper class didn't want the lower class, working class or poor class to have any power or say in decision making. They wanted to leave them powerless and rule as they pleased with their belief's. The power the upper class wanted to have over the other classes aggravated the problem of inequality. The people that where suffering the most by inequality finally rose and made a difference with the civil rights movements because at this time African American where being targeted and separated. The power of speech went a long way with Dr. King, and the other activists that fought for equality. Today you have citizenship, where becoming a citizen gives you certain rights in that country. The rights are suppose to be equal rights for all but the upper class still has the upper hand. 

This paragraph is important because Marshall brings up a good points and explains the root of the problem well which is inequality. The demand of civil rights led to the demand of all rights including social rights. This all ties in with education. Everyone should have an opportunity to get an education. With education comes knowledge and with knowledge comes power. I said in the previous paragraph that the upper class still had an advantage because people with money are able to get a better education and be led into politics where they have a voice and ht empower to change laws affecting an entire population of people wether is be state or country; or into better paying jobs. They still have more power but there are a lot of things that exist today like loans, scholarships, and financial aid, that make is possible for the lower classes to coexist with the upper class. Education gives us a fighting chance.