The Golden Rule Poster – A History
The Golden Rule—the principle of treating others as one would like to be treated—is found in many different faith traditions and philosophies outside of Christianity. This widespread occurrence suggests that it may have originated independently among various cultures or evolved naturally from basic human empathy and ethics. Here are some examples:
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... See moreISBE on the Intertexts to the Golden Rule
The general principle of reciprocity embodied in the “golden rule” is not unique to Jesus’ teaching. Among the Greeks, Isocrates stated a similar principle: “You should be such in your dealings with others as you expect me to be in my dealings with you” (Nicocles or The Cyprians 49). Similar maxims are found
... See moreThe Golden Rule and the Sophists
Some have concluded (e.g., R. G. Hammerton-Kelly, IDB Supp., p. 369) that the “golden rule” originated in the Sophist movement in Greece (5th cent. b.c.), was taken over by Hellenistic Judaism, and from there found its way into early Christian teaching. It is incontestable that Christianity derived this principle fro
... See moreGolden Rule in the Negative Form in Palestinian Jewish Literature
In ancient Jewish Palestinian literature the saying is found only in a negative version;a likewise in the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles.”b The positive version in Jesus’ mouth goes beyond the negative version just as far as, for example, “help and support” goes beyond “do no harm.”
... See moreThe faith leaders and ethicists identified three moral precepts common to all of the world’s faiths. The first is the Golden Rule, the principle of reciprocity: Do not do unto others what you would not have them do to you. The Golden Rule is found in the teachings of Confucius and of Jesus, in Hindu texts, and in Kant’s categorical imperative. The
... See moreJeffrey D. Sachs • The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions
Do unto others as they want done unto them. —The Platinum Rule,