Dear Baya,

     I’ve just been arguing with my boy friend. He says that boys are not just different from girls but superior; stronger, cleverer, braver. He also said that it was good that some people were very rich and others poor – otherwise there would be nothing to aim for in life. He even had the cheek to argue that some races (he’s white of course!) are better than others (brown or yellow). How should I answer him?

     He did make some good points. He said that if I looked around the world, women were usually regarded as inferior, rich and poor are becoming further apart,, that many people feel that their race is superior.

     Could you explain whether inequality is something natural to humans, or whether we just invent it? And why does it often grow over time? What is the difference between a caste and a class, between slavery and freedom?

     I’d really like to do something about all the terrible unfairness in the world. I find the treatment of women in many places weird. I hate the idea that some people are monstrously rich and other scavenge on rubbish heaps. The idea that in some places you can’t touch a person or eat with them seems awful.

     So let me know what you think about all this and explain why humans seem so mad on making trouble and division. And maybe you’ll explain why some inequalities are necessary, for example those of age (in your favour), and beauty (in mine, I naturally think!).

Lots of love,