more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 23394

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 2. Golden Rule ]

Full Idea

If people regarded other people's states in the same way that they regard their own, who then would incite their own state to attack that of another?

Gist of Idea

If people regarded other states as they did their own, they would never attack them

Source

Mozi (The Mozi [c.440 BCE], 16), quoted by Bryan van Norden - Intro to Classical Chinese Philosophy 4.I

Book Ref

Norden,Bryan van: 'Intro to Classical Chinese Philosophy' [Hackett 2011], p.51

A Reaction

A nice case of the application of golden rule thinking to states, instead of to individuals. I can't see Putin (in 2022) being impressed by 'how would you like it if another country invaded Russia?'. The Golden Rule is an analogy argument.

The 14 ideas with the same theme [treat others as you would like to be treated]:

7360 Do not do to others what you would not desire yourself [Kongzi (Confucius)]
23394 If people regarded other states as they did their own, they would never attack them [Mozi]
7350 The Torah just says: do not do to your neighbour what is hateful to you [Hillel the Elder]
5356 Treat others as you would have them treat you [Jesus]
5337 For Hobbes the Golden Rule concerns not doing things, whereas Jesus encourages active love [Hobbes, by Flanagan]
12934 We can't want everyone to have more than their share, so a further standard is needed [Leibniz]
7844 The Golden Rule is accepted everywhere, and gives a fixed target for morality [Voltaire]
19768 The better Golden Rule is 'do good for yourself without harming others' [Rousseau]
23675 We shouldn't do to others what would be a wrong to us in similar circumstances [Reid]
3733 The 'golden rule' cannot be a universal law as it implies no duties [Kant]
20246 If you feel to others as they feel to themselves, you must hate a self-hater [Nietzsche]
4560 The Golden Rule prohibits harmful actions, with the premise that actions will be requited [Nietzsche]
21030 The categorical imperative is not the Golden Rule, which concerns contingent desires [Sandel]
2856 Universal moral judgements imply the Golden Rule ('do as you would be done by') [Hooker,B]