The Analects of Confucius

 

Click this to read the whole text: The Analects of Confucius

    One of my favorite dialogues between Tzu-Kung and Confucius is when Confucius says that the guide of behavior throughout life is to be on good terms with others, which translates as don't do what you wouldn't want to be done you. If you show them hate, they will reciprocate by showing you hatred. However, if you show them love, they will respond by showing you love and respect.

    Tzu-kung asked, "Is there a single word which can be a guide to conduct throughout one's life?" The Master said, "It is perhaps the word ‘shu’. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire."

    The Golden Rule is treating others in the same way that one would want to be treated oneself. It is a principle that may be found in almost all faiths and civilizations throughout the world. Even though various faiths address it differently, it may be regarded as an ethic of reciprocity in certain religions.

    According to Rushworth Kidder, the notion may be traced back to the early Confucian period. It can be found prominently in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and "the rest of the world's main faiths" as well. As part of the 1993 "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic," 143 leaders of the world's dominant religions supported the Golden Rule as part of a global ethic. A belief in God is not required to keep it, according to Greg M. Epstein, who describes it as "an idea that no religion completely misses." According to Simon Blackburn, the Golden Rule may be found in "some form in virtually every ethical tradition" and that it is "found in some form in almost every ethical tradition."

Sources: 

• http://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil101/12.%20Analects%20of%20Confucius.pdf
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule