World Scripture World Scripture - The Golden Rule Page 1 of 3 THE GOLDEN RULE The Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the scriptures of nearly every religion. It is often regarded as the most concise and general principle of ethics. It is a condensation in one principle of all longer lists of ordinances such as the Decalogue. See also texts on Loving Kindness, pp. 967-73. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 1. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Leviticus 19.18 Therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. 2. Christianity. Bible, Matthew 7.12 Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. 3. Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13 A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated. 4. Jainism. Sutrakritanga 1.11.33 Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence. 5. Confucianism. Mencius VII.A.4 One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire. 6. Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8 Tsekung asked, "Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?" Confucius replied, "It is the word shu--reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you." 7. Confucianism. Analects 15.23 Leviticus 19.18: Quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22.36-40 (below). Mencius VII.A.4 and Analects 15.23: Cf. Analects 6.28.2, p. 975 Wilson, Andrew. World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts. St. Paul: Paragon House. 1998. World Scripture - The Golden Rule Page 2 of 3 Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I," he should neither kill nor cause others to kill. 8. Buddhism. Sutta Nipata 705 One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts. 9. African Traditional Religions. Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria) One who you think should be hit is none else but you. One who you think should be governed is none else but you. One who you think should be tortured is none else but you. One who you think should be enslaved is none else but you. One who you think should be killed is none else but you. A sage is ingenuous and leads his life after comprehending the parity of the killed and the killer. Therefore, neither does he cause violence to others nor does he make others do so. 10. Jainism. Acarangasutra 5.101-2 The Ariyan disciple thus reflects, Here am I, fond of my life, not wanting to die, fond of pleasure and averse from pain. Suppose someone should rob me of my life... it would not be a thing pleasing and delightful to me. If I, in my turn, should rob of his life one fond of his life, no ...

1. World Scripture
World Scripture - The Golden Rule Page 1 of 3
THE GOLDEN RULE
The Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the
scriptures of nearly every religion. It is often
regarded as the most concise and general principle of ethics. It
is a condensation in one principle of all longer
lists of ordinances such as the Decalogue. See also texts on
Loving Kindness, pp. 967-73.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
1. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Leviticus 19.18
Therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do
ye even so to them.
2. Christianity. Bible, Matthew 7.12
Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what
he loves for himself.

2. 3. Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13
A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself
would be treated.
4. Jainism. Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated
yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest
way to benevolence.
5. Confucianism. Mencius VII.A.4
One should not behave towards others in a way which is
disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality.
All other activities are due to selfish desire.
6. Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
Tsekung asked, "Is there one word that can serve as a principle
of conduct for life?" Confucius replied, "It is the

3. word shu--reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want
them to do to you."
7. Confucianism. Analects 15.23
Leviticus 19.18: Quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22.36-40 (below).
Mencius VII.A.4 and Analects
15.23: Cf. Analects 6.28.2, p. 975
Wilson, Andrew. World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of
Sacred Texts. St. Paul: Paragon House. 1998.
World Scripture - The Golden Rule Page 2 of 3
Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so
are they, just as they are so am I," he should
neither kill nor cause others to kill.
8. Buddhism. Sutta Nipata 705
One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should

4. first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.
9. African Traditional Religions. Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)
One who you think should be hit is none else but you. One who
you think should be governed is none else but
you. One who you think should be tortured is none else but you.
One who you think should be enslaved is none
else but you. One who you think should be killed is none else
but you. A sage is ingenuous and leads his life
after comprehending the parity of the killed and the killer.
Therefore, neither does he cause violence to others
nor does he make others do so.
10. Jainism. Acarangasutra 5.101-2
The Ariyan disciple thus reflects, Here am I, fond of my life,
not wanting to die, fond of pleasure and averse
from pain. Suppose someone should rob me of my life... it
would not be a thing pleasing and delightful to me. If
I, in my turn, should rob of his life one fond of his life, not
wanting to die, one fond of pleasure and averse from
pain, it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to him. For a

5. state that is not pleasant or delightful to me
must also be to him also; and a state that is not pleasing or
delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon
another? As a result of such reflection he himself abstains from
taking the life of creatures and he encourages
others so to abstain, and speaks in praise of so abstaining.
11. Buddhism. Samyutta Nikaya v.353
A certain heathen came to Shammai and said to him, "Make me
a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the
whole Torah while I stand on one foot." Thereupon he repulsed
him with the rod which was in his hand. When
he went to Hillel, he said to him, "What is hateful to you, do not
do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah;
all the rest of it is commentary; go and learn."
12. Judaism. Talmud, Shabbat 31a
Sutta Nipata 705: Cf. Dhammapada 129-130, p. 478.
Acarangasutra 5.101-2: Cf. Dhammapada
129-130, p. 478. Samyutta Nikaya v.353: The passage gives a
similar reflection about abstaining from other

6. types of immoral behavior: theft, adultery, etc. To identify
oneself with others is also a corollary to the
Mahayana insight that all reality is interdependent and mutually
related; cf. Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of
Life 8.112-16, p. 181; Majjhima Nikaya i.415, p. 465.
Wilson, Andrew. World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of
Sacred Texts. St. Paul: Paragon House. 1998.
World Scripture - The Golden Rule Page 2 of 3
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said
unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.”
13. Christianity. Bible, Matthew 22.36-40

7. Matthew 22.36-40: Cf. Deuteronomy 6.4-9, p. 55; Leviticus
19.18, p. 173; Luke 10.25-37, p. 971;
Galatians 6.2, p. 974; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.2.2, p. 972;
Sun Myung Moon, 9-30-79, p. 150.
Wilson, Andrew. World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of
Sacred Texts. St. Paul: Paragon House. 1998.

8. CHAPTER 1: MAKING OUR LIVES COUNT
[Discussion tip: The next few chapters explore how ordinary
and seemingly
powerless individuals can create powerful social change. That's
a hard
concept for many students to grasp, because it cuts against the
grain of our
culture. They may even distance themselves from the people
whose stories I
present by saying they could never do anything comparable. It
helps,
therefore, to focus on the humble beginnings of the individuals I
profile, and
stress that they started out just as apprehensive as--and perhaps
more
powerless than--the students now reading their stories.]
"When we shrink from the world, our souls shrink, too," writes
Loeb. Do you
agree with this quote? Explain. Are there times when you have
stayed silent
over a public issue? Do you think it’s always better to speak
out?
"America’s prevailing culture," Loeb writes, "insists that
nothing we do can
matter. It teaches us not to get involved in shaping the world
we’ll pass on
to our children." Do you agree with Loeb’s characterization of

9. our culture as
teaching resignation and withdrawal? Do you recognize his
description in
people you know or in yourself?
Discuss the following quote: "We become human only in the
company of
other human beings." What’s your reaction?
Why does Loeb tell the story of Virginia Ramirez? Why does
her husband tell
her, "That’s not your role"? Have you ever been told that you
shouldn’t do
something because it’s not your role or place? Did it surprise
you that
someone who started in a situation so seemingly powerless
could help create
so much change? Why do you think she said she was more
intimidated
talking to her neighbors the first time than to a group of U.S.
Senators?
Was Derrick Bell foolish to resign his tenured position at
Harvard Law
School? Were the results worth the cost?
Did it surprise you that a born-again evangelical like Rich Cizik
is so involved
in climate change? Did it challenge any of your stereotypes
about
evangelicals or climate change activists? Cizik says the climate
change issue

10. “shook my theology to its core.” Have you ever felt shaken to
the core by
something you've learned or a project to which you've
committed yourself?
Could you imagine approaching a community of which you're
part to engage
them in this profoundly challenging issue?
Ask your parents or older people in your community whether
they've noticed
impacts on the local habitat/ecosystem from climate change,
like if they're
hunters or fishermen or spend lots of outdoors. Do plants bloom
at different
times? Do wild animals have different patterns? Is there less
snow or more
or less rain? What do they notice? See this link to some terrific
regional
maps from the National Climate Assessment report. And follow
this link to see
how hot your city is projected to be by 2100 if we continue on
our current
course.
What did Martin Luther King mean by saying, about social
involvement, "Take the first step in faith? You don’t have to see
the whole

11. staircase, just take the first step”? What would it take for you to
"take the
first step?"
CHAPTER 2: WE DON’T HAVE TO BE SAINTS
We "wait our entire lives to find the ideal moment" to get
involved, Loeb
writes. What do you think? Has the "perfect standard"
discouraged you from
getting involved in your community? If so how? Did it surprise
you that
Gandhi was literally tongue-tied when he first started out and
that Martin
Luther King was initially reluctant to act? Why do you think
Loeb included
these details?
Consider this quote: "Contrary to expectation, we’re most
effective when we
realize that there is no perfect time to get involved in social
causes, no ideal
circumstances for voicing our convictions. What each of us
faces instead is a
lifelong series of imperfect moments in which we must decide
what to stand
for." What argument is Loeb making here? Do you agree?
Explain. Are we
ever too busy to get involved? What do you think the key

12. difference is
between those who find time in busy lives to get involved in
their
communities and those who have no more free time but do not?
Loeb states that "change is the product of deliberate,
incremental action
whereby we join together to try to shape a better world." Have
you ever
considered yourself to be a social activist? Have you ever taken
a stand on
an issue or been involved in some sort of social action? Explain.
If you
answered no to these questions, what do you think stops you
from becoming
more involved? (Be sure and include the reasons Loeb gives for
why people
are often reluctant to get engaged in their communities or larger
issues.)
Can you think of an issue that you believe you should be
speaking out on?
What is one small thing you would be willing to do to
participate, like writing
a letter to a legislator, to the campus or community paper, going
to a
meeting of an active student group, or joining a related
Facebook group? Try
to do that one small action, and then write about what it felt

13. like. Feel free
to do it together with someone else in or outside of the class.
https://www.vox.com/2014/5/6/5686770/nine-maps-that-show-
how-climate-change-is-already-affecting-the-us
https://www.vox.com/2014/5/6/5686770/nine-maps-that-show-
how-climate-change-is-already-affecting-the-us
https://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/20140710/global-
warming-interactive-how-hot-will-your-city-get
Former Emory student Sonya Tinsley created a powerful project
to bring
people together across racial lines through music. How much do
people from
different racial backgrounds mix much at the cultural events
that you
attend? Could you imagine yourself creating a similar effort to
Sonya's to
make this happen more?
According to Loeb, does social change come about by the single
act of a
great person? If not, how? Please elaborate and give examples.
How could
ordinary citizens work on the problems you've seen in your
experience with
community involvement?
Do you have "a willingness to live with ambiguity"? What
might this mean?
How important is it to be consistent as a citizen? How much are
you deterred

14. from involving yourself in important issues because of the
ambiguities?
SOCI 4080C: Social Responsibility
Cultural Genogram: Dimensions of Culture
For each of the Identity Factors below, enter three
characteristics that symbolize or define that Identity Factor
from your perspective based on cultural norms. Then consider
how these values influence your thoughts on social
responsibility.
{Enter your name here}
Identity Factor: Family
Identity Factor: Country of Origin/Residence
Identity Factor: Race/Ethnicity
Identity Factor: Gender
How would you describe your family?
Where did you grow up?
What symbols/values represent your culture?
What roles, responsibilities, and/or expectations are associated
with gender in your experience?
Culturally Defined Characteristics
(

15. Culturally Defined Characteristics
(
Culturally Defined Characteristics
(
Culturally Defined Characteristics
(
Direct or Indirect Influence on Orientation to Social
Responsibility
(
© 2016 Laureate Education, Inc.
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