The Golden Rule
What about those who hate themselves? What about those who have no self-esteem? What about masochists? Should they do onto others as they would have others do onto themselves? Is that the proper basis of morality? My answer is no.
First, your question needs to be contextualized with what the Bible says.
(Luke 6:27-36) "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks from you, and from one who takes away your things, don't ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do [what is] good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do [what is] good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Also compare to Matthew 5:38ff).
The Bible doesn't state what we call the Golden Rule, but the implication of loving your enemies is unmistakeable. Compare those verses, for example, to Leviticus 24:20: "Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him."
You're not the first person who has criticized the ethic of reciprocity. George Bernard Shaw, for example, said, "Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same."
My view is that it is a valid but limited moral principle. The Bible makes no claim that this is the only or the most important moral principle that should govern one's actions. The principle of mutual respect certainly doesn't work for people who do not respect themselves. A stronger moral principle that the Bible states by implication is the centrality and signficance of the individual-- that you matter. Those that deny they matter will also deny that others matter, not always by word but by deed. Those who have believe they matter, who have strong but balanced esteem and character, will embrace this ethic. I'm not talking about the esteem of the swaggering bully, which is usually no esteem at all. And so it is no coincidence that this principle is found in most religions.
In my view, a stronger moral ethic is one that disclaims kind of positive tit for tat-- but rather you act because it is simply the right thing to do. It is moral obligation divorced from consequences or even the specificity of whether or not someone is a masochist or lacks self-esteem. As Kant put it: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
First, your question needs to be contextualized with what the Bible says.
(Luke 6:27-36) "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks from you, and from one who takes away your things, don't ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do [what is] good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do [what is] good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Also compare to Matthew 5:38ff).
The Bible doesn't state what we call the Golden Rule, but the implication of loving your enemies is unmistakeable. Compare those verses, for example, to Leviticus 24:20: "Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him."
You're not the first person who has criticized the ethic of reciprocity. George Bernard Shaw, for example, said, "Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same."
My view is that it is a valid but limited moral principle. The Bible makes no claim that this is the only or the most important moral principle that should govern one's actions. The principle of mutual respect certainly doesn't work for people who do not respect themselves. A stronger moral principle that the Bible states by implication is the centrality and signficance of the individual-- that you matter. Those that deny they matter will also deny that others matter, not always by word but by deed. Those who have believe they matter, who have strong but balanced esteem and character, will embrace this ethic. I'm not talking about the esteem of the swaggering bully, which is usually no esteem at all. And so it is no coincidence that this principle is found in most religions.
In my view, a stronger moral ethic is one that disclaims kind of positive tit for tat-- but rather you act because it is simply the right thing to do. It is moral obligation divorced from consequences or even the specificity of whether or not someone is a masochist or lacks self-esteem. As Kant put it: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
Labels: philosophy
posted by My Mall and News at
5:36 PM
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