The first and most all-encompassing precept must be –
Empathise
The Golden Rule or The Ethic of Reciprocity is “Do not treat others in ways that you would not like to be treated”.
The alternative similar and more commonly known version may be easier and more useful to remember, but is not exactly the same – Treat others in ways that you would like to be treated.
This rule, or a version of it is common in all human cultures and dates back to antiquity. Evidence of its roots can be seen when animals empathise. There are many examples of this, but the most obvious are chimpanzees.
A form of empathy has been with Man since the dawn of time, and so not surprisingly written evidence is early, being mentioned by Confucius (who lived from 551–479 BCE) in the Analects XV–
15.24 Zigong asked, “It there a single saying that one may put into practice all one’s life?”
The Master said, “That would be ‘reciprocity’: That which you do not desire, do not do to others.”
This is also evident in Ancient Greece. Pittacus of Mytilene (who lived from 640-568 BCE, a little earlier than Confucius), and several other Ancient Greeks (e.g. Thales of Miletus) are attributed to forms of the Golden Rule.
It is prominent in many other societies, and a form of it features in most religions.
Perhaps surprisingly it is not one of the Jewish or Christian Ten Commandments, although half of these would apply under the Golden Rule.
Some claim that it appears in Leviticus “Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. ” However this is clearly instruction on how to behave to your own people, and not to strangers, so seems to me unrelated to the Golden Rule.
A similar version of the Golden Rule first appears in the New Testament where, in verses 19:16-19, Matthew describes Jesus’ sermon on the Mount when Jesus repeated five of the Ten Commandments, followed by the commandment called the second, not another of the Ten Commandments, – “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. (Matthew 19:16-22) – Again the use of the word neighbour may refer to Jews and not their neighbour’s neighbours or non-Jew Gentiles.
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
If you are wondering, the Ten Commandments are most commonly considered to be –
I am the Lord thy God (the opening phrase), followed by: Thou shalt have no other gods before me (1); Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (2); Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (3); Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (4); Honour thy father and thy mother (5); Thou shalt not kill (6); Thou shalt not commit adultery (7); Thou shalt not steal (8); Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour (9); Thou shalt not covet – usually explicitly referring to neighbour’s house, wife, and other possessions (10).
Do you have any comments or further observations?