Ethic of Reciprocity

Informal Theme #1

 Blog #1

            The golden rule is endorsed by all the great world religions. Jesus, Hillel, and Confucius used it to summarize their ethical teachings. And for many centuries the idea has been influential among people of very diverse cultures. These facts suggest that the golden rule may be an important moral truth. It is best interpreted as saying: "Treat others only as you consent to being treated in the same situation."

                                                      

To apply the golden rule, you'd imagine yourself on the receiving end of the action in the exact place of the other person (which includes having the other person's likes and dislikes). If you act in a given way toward another, and yet are unwilling to be treated that way in the same circumstances, then you violate the rule. To apply the golden rule adequately, we need knowledge and imagination. We need to know what effect our actions have on the lives of others. And we need to be able to imagine ourselves, vividly and accurately, in the other person's place on the receiving end of the action.

With knowledge, imagination, and the ethic of reciprocity, we can progress far in our moral thinking. The golden rule, with roots in a wide range of world cultures, is well suited to be a standard that different cultures can appeal to in resolving conflicts. As the world becomes more and more a single interacting global community, the need for such a common standard is becoming more urgent. If everybody would ensure justice for others, there’d be no doubt that Earth would be one happy planet. Change should start from deep within us.