What Is The Golden Rule
The Golden Rule is an ethical principle that states you should treat other people the same way you would like to be treated. The golden rule, for example, means that you must treat others with respect if you expect them to do so.
The golden rule, a philosophical principle that has been expressed in many ways throughout history by different groups, can guide you in a wide range of situations. In the article below, you will discover more about the golden rules, how they can be improved, and how to put them into practice.
The golden rule in its main forms
Three main ways can be used to formulate the golden rule:
Formal positive Golden rule: You should treat other people the way you want to be. It means, for instance, that you should treat others with respect if you expect them to do so.
Negative/prohibitive Form The formulation states that you shouldn’t behave towards others as you would NOT wish to be treated. It means, for instance, that you should not say anything mean to others if you do not want them to treat you badly.
Empathic/responsive Form According to the empathic formula, when you wish for something on others, you are also wishing it on yourself. It is implied that, for instance, if you want to make someone ill, you also want it on yourself.
The golden rule is a universal principle that applies to all people. However, the degree to which they are exposed to it varies depending on the dominant religion in the society.
All of these golden rules have the same basic concept and the same intention. All forms of the golden rules aim to make you treat others better by using how you would like to be treated to guide your behavior.
Note the negative Form of the golden rule is often referred to as the Silver Rule. The ethic is also sometimes used to describe the concept of the Golden Rule.
Golden Rule Examples
The golden rule is implemented in many different ways. You can, for example:
You should always be polite towards others if you expect them to be courteous to you. (positive Form)
You shouldn’t be rude if you don’t wish to have people be disrespectful towards you. (negative Form)
You should help others in the same way if you want them to be selfless. (positive Form)
You shouldn’t deny people the help they are willing to give if you don’t wish them to do so. (negative Form)
You can also be positive by wishing positive things for yourself. (empathic Form)
Golden Rule Variants
Many different formulations of the Golden Rule have been proposed by individuals and groups throughout history.
Remember that many of these golden rules are translated versions of other languages. For example, the Latin “quod nonvis free, Alteri no feceris” can be translated to “do not to another what you would not like to be done to yourself.”
Keep in mind, too, that some of the quotes are not clear on their exact origins or phrasing. The main thing to take away from these examples is that the concept of the golden rule has been prevalent throughout history.
Related Concepts
Different concepts are closely related to the golden rule when it comes to morality and ethics.
The most important of these concepts is Kant’s categorical directive. It states that “you should only act according to the maxim that allows you to simultaneously will that it become a universal law,” which means that you should only act in a particular way if you are willing for everyone else to work the same.
Clarke’s Rule of Equity can refer to one such concept, which states: “Whatever it is that I deem reasonable or unreasonable for another person to do for me, I declare that the same thing would also be reasonable or unreasonable for myself in his case.”
Critique of the Golden Rule and possible solutions
The golden rule is often criticized for suggesting that other people should be treated in the same manner as you would like them to be treated. This is not always true.
It can create a situation where someone mistreats another person under the golden rule. This can lead to a person making an overtly romantic gesture towards someone who isn’t interested just because they wish someone else would do the same thing for them.
George Bernard Shaw, the famous, has described this issue.
In order to address this problem, a variation of the golden rules has been developed. It is known as the Platinum Rule. Indicates you should treat other people the same way they would like to be treated.
This principle is also criticized. For example, it can cause issues when it leads you to act in a manner that goes against your values. There are also situations where you can’t use the platinum principle, such as when you don’t know what the other person is thinking or when the golden rule has better results, like when it encourages people to show more empathy. The platinum rule is no better than the golden rule in all cases.
The platinum rule can also be called the copper rule or the inversion to the golden rule.
Conflict with other principles
The golden rule has also been criticized for its potential to lead to undesirable results in certain situations when it clashes with another guiding principle, including moral principles and other types of regulations, such as legal or social principles.
The golden rule suggests that we let someone go if they are convicted and sentenced for a crime. We would not want ourselves to be in prison. The same applies even if you use the platinum rule. After all, the prisoner is likely to want to avoid prison.
This issue of the golden rule, however, can be addressed in a more general way by seeing this principle as just one of many principles we use to guide both our individual and collective behavior.
In the above example, the golden law would not have been enough to keep the person out of prison. Most people and societies place other laws and ethical standards above the golden rules but still consider the golden rule. They will try to apply the golden rule as much as possible as long as they don’t conflict with a more important idea.
