PYQ Vault · Paper 1 · Equality

“Equality of estates caused equality of power, and equality of power is liberty.” Comment.

How the answer moves

The flow snapshot — the routes in, the body, the counter-view and the routes out.

Flow snapshot — how the answer moves
Intro routes
R1 locate line in Harrington → property-power-liberty chain → stake: necessary, not complete R2 republican claim that economic structure underpins freedom → strong but partial
Body flow
estates = wide diffusion of property → blocks concentration of power → dispersed power = liberty survives → gross wealth → influence / patronage / domination → Harrington verbatim → modern form: civic independence + Rawls (fair value of political liberty) → land reform / progressive tax / anti-trust as checks
Counter-view
estates not sufficient (courts, free media, constitutional safeguards) → caste / gender / race hierarchies survive property reform → Hayek: forced material equality → totalitarian power
Conclusion routes
R1 important but not exclusive foundation of liberty R2 economic equality one pillar; liberty rests on property and institutions together

Model answer

Handwritten, in the form it would be written in the examination hall.

Handwritten model answer — UPSC PSIR 2022, Equality