The Golden Rule | Significance, History & Secular Philosophy | Study.com (2024)

There is evidence of cultures coming up with and making use of the Golden Rule in ancient history. None of these cultures used the phrase ''Golden Rule,'' but the concept was the same. In ancient Egypt, the rule was laid out in a text called The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, which said, ''Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do.'' The text was originally written between 2040 and 1782 BCE in ancient Egypt's Middle Kingdom. In ancient Greece, several writers described variations on the Golden Rule. Isocrates (not to be confused with Socrates, the philosopher) wrote around 400 BCE, ''Do not do to others that which angers you when they do it to you.''

Confucius was one of several ancient philosophers who described the Golden Rule

Zoroaster, the ancient Persian prophet around whom the Zoroastrian religion was based, said, ''That character is best that does not do to another what is not good for itself.'' Some sources also credit ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius with saying, ''What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.'' These are just a few of the most influential examples of the Golden Rule in the ancient world. It is unclear to what extent the ethic of reciprocity became a mainstay of people's ethical practices in each of these times and places.

While the Golden Rule does appear in secular philosophy, it is commonly associated with various religious teachings. Christianity is particularly strongly associated with the Golden Rule; the Bible expresses the ''do unto others'' sentiment twice. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus says, ''Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets'' (King James Version). In Luke 6:31, Jesus says, ''And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise'' (KJV). Because of these two quotes, the Golden Rule has become a prominent ethical maxim in Christianity. It is often quoted alongside other commandments like ''love thy neighbor'' or ''turn the other cheek,'' although all of these rules actually function slightly differently.

Jesus describes the Golden Rule twice in the gospels, in both Matthew and Luke

Many other religions from around the world also have their own versions of the Golden Rule. Judaism has a version of the rule written out in Leviticus in the Tanakh: ''You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Lord'' (Leviticus 19:18). In Islam, a hadith from the seventh century CE states, ''Do unto all men as you would wish to have done unto you; and reject for others what you would reject for yourself.'' In Hinduism, the Mahabharata says, ''This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.'' A quote from the Buddhist Udanavarga states, ''Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.'' These are just a few examples; other religions and philosophical movements have also developed their own versions, including Daoism, some African religions, and some new faith movements like Wicca and Scientology.

Not all uses of the Golden Rule are religious; secular philosophies have also examined the ethic of reciprocity and its potential applications in real life. The Golden Rule is sometimes considered a deontological principle, meaning that it is based on people's obligations to one another. Others consider it a utilitarian rule that is based on generating the greatest good. Generally speaking, the Golden Rule is not considered a sufficient basis for a full-scale system of ethics, mostly because it is too simple to be comprehensive. Nonetheless, it has been the subject of considerable discussion among philosophers and ethicists.

The Golden Rule, or the ethic of reciprocity, is a common sense moral rule described in the philosophical field of ethics. The rule asks people to treat others as they would wish to be treated. This most common form of the rule is known as the positive version; the negative corollary tells people not to do to others what they would not want done to them. Human cultures around the world have developed variations on the Golden Rule independently; the earliest recorded versions of the maxim date back several thousand years. Several religions and several secular philosophies have all described the Golden Rule in varying degrees of detail.

Many people associate the Golden Rule with Christianity, as Jesus repeats the rule in both Matthew and Luke. Other religions like Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism have also developed their own versions of the rule. Some philosophers have criticized the Golden Rule as being an insufficient moral precept. To apply the Golden Rule, one must assume that one's own desires are universal; if they are not, there is a risk of causing harm to others by going against their wishes in service of one's own.