Democratic equality is logically a mathematical, quantitative conception of equivalent units.

Evidence

Marie Swabey has stated the issue succinctly: “The notion of equality central to democracy is clearly a logical and mathematical conception… . [O]nce equality is admitted, the notions of number, per capita enumeration, and determination by the greater number are not far to seek… . Citizens are to be taken as so many equivalent units and issues are to be decided by the summation of them… . Once we conceive the whole (the state) as composed of parts (the citizens) which are formally distinct but without relevant qualitative differences, we are applying the notion in its essentials. Involved here is the assumption not only that the whole is authoritative over any of its parts, but that what there is more of has ipso facto greater weight than that which differs from it merely by being less. In the democratic state this idea is expressed as the postulate that the opinion of the people as a whole, or of the greater part of them, is authoritative over that of any lesser group.” — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 843

Categorization

• DEFINE: Swabey’s formulation grounds what Asad means by ‘abstract equality’ — useful definitional anchor.