Came across this which stopped me in my tracks.
Generally, I think we all accept the golden rule - do onto other as you will have them do onto you - as a susinct yardstick of morality. It has popped up in upanishads, confucian sayings and buddhist writings long before the sermon on the mount, many atheist writers refer to it as a social norm which requires no religion - so I think the sentiment is universal to humanity.
But what of this quoted from Oscar Wilde
He rejected the golden rule 'for it makes you take yourself as the standard of what everyone wants, whereas what you should instead do is to see and respect others' differences, and act accordingly'
Well, well - I will be contemplating this, but I may move on from the golden rule!

Views: 7

Comment by Renshia on June 6, 2010 at 8:19pm
I agree with this completely. I long ago gave up the golden rule.
Now I live by doing what is the best I can for myself and the best for all concerned.
it is a small linguistic difference but in reality they are worlds apart.
Comment by Ian Brennan on June 7, 2010 at 12:06pm
Hi Doone, the quote came from AC Grayling collection of essays The Form of Things, worth a read. He did not give a reference, and it does look like he could have paraphrased it, so quoted from is not strictly correct, as I could not cross referrence it as a quote. Many of his saying do came accross to say the same thing, like - "Do not do to others what you would have them do to you! They may not have the same tastes!"
Comment by Sophia Kousiakis on June 20, 2010 at 1:43pm
Haha indeed we might not have the same tastes at all! I love Oscar Wilde's humour. "Standard of what everyone has ever wanted"rings very true to why we needed rules to be set out in the bible. To make sure everyone stayed in order, controlled and that there was a norm, golden rules -standards deemed right by everyone else. Hallelujah to acting accordingly to others' differences. But a moments worry comes in here - perhaps control is necessary for humanity?
Comment by Ian Brennan on June 25, 2010 at 12:42pm
Acting to others differences must always be seen in context, if I am pedophile priest, my difference should not be accepted etc.
I think is a good body of evidence and lots of philosophical views that god/religion was a form of social cohesion as humans evolved into co operative social groups.
I would like to think that humanity has developed to a level that there are sufficient structures and institutions that are based on fact and reason, to allow superstition to be dropped. In reality, its the superstitious block that threatens humanity out of its fear of becoming increasingly irrelevant to humanity.

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