The Golden Rule of Ethics


The golden rule of ethics is – act with others as you want them to do to you. In different epochs this principle was reflected in religious and philosophical teachings, such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam. In its essence, this golden rule is the result, crowning the moral laws defined for the person living in society.

The “Golden Rule” has a universal character and forms the moral basis for the formation of all other qualities of man. From this rule all the decrees, relating, both to man’s love for man, and man to the Most High, follow. In fact, the biblical commandments of love come from this rule.

Biblical love prescribes a respectful and compassionate attitude to man not only to his neighbors, but also to his enemies. How to apply the “Golden Rule”, if a person has already harmed you with his actions. Is it not better to use the Old Testament principle “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” in such a situation.

However, even in the Old Testament the punishment was not limited to lynching, it was the prerogative of judges. Thus, if there is no possibility to solve the problem itself, it is necessary to turn to the society for help.

“Golden rule” in the early historical times of the development of mankind was determined by philosophical and ethical prerequisites, to this day it continues to be supplemented, analyzed and refined. In early childhood, a person begins to understand his “I”, but through him he begins to understand the feelings and desires of another person: it is worth pinching yourself, how to become clear how it hurts another person. In the life of the individual, the “Golden Rule” begins to operate, which is fixed in proverbs and sayings among different peoples. “Do not dig a hole to another – you can not get into it yourself”, “as it turns up, it will respond.”

The “golden rule” in different religions is the doctrine given to man by God. Only in the implementation of this rule, he sees the way of harmonization of relations between people differing in their moral qualities, their attitudes, abilities, cultural level.

“The Golden Rule” is a universal human value, without which it is doomed to extinction. This is confirmed by the whole history of the development of human society, when the empires that trampled down this rule fell. Its formation as a moral value and the ideal of each person is the main task of ethical education.


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The Golden Rule of Ethics