The golden rule is a moral principle, which states that you should treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. For example, if you want people to treat you with respect, you should treat them with respect.Different people tend to be exposed to different forms of the golden rule, based on factors such as the religion in their society.

However, all forms of the golden rule revolve around the same concept. Namely, they help you treat others better, by using the way you yourself would want to be treated as a guide of how to behave.A notable criticism of the golden rule is that its application can lead to undesirable outcomes when it conflicts with laws and ethical principles.

For example, if someone breaks the law, the golden rule would suggest that we should let them go, because we would not want to be punished ourselves.However, this issue with the golden rule can be dealt with in a general manner, by viewing this principle as one of several principles that we use to guide our behavior as individuals and as a society.

Specifically, in the example described above, most individuals and societies choose to place laws and ethical principles above the golden rule. This means that they strive to implement the golden rule whenever possible, as long as it doesn't clash with a more important concept.

Question16：What do we learn from the passage about the golden rule?

Question17：What is a notable criticism of the golden rule?

Question18：What does the example of someone breaking the law serve to show?