3 ms·

Those rules are more commonly known as the silver rule (rabbi Hillel Sr.), the golden rule (Jesus), Lex Talionis (Hammurabi), and an amalgamation of appeasement

Those rules are more commonly known as the silver rule (rabbi Hillel Sr.), the golden rule (Jesus), Lex Talionis (Hammurabi), and an amalgamation of appeasement, deterrence, and mutually assured destruction. That one hasn't been around quite as long, and isn't quite as glamorous, as it covers the value of bullying and cowardice, so might be debatable as to how pervasive it is. But it is the ethical basis for both the weaker-side tactics in asymmetric warfare and nuclear deterrence, so is followed more by national military policy than by religions. It might have been first put into print by Sun Tzu, maybe? My personal ethics are far further from universal than the list I proposed.

_Codemonkeyism 10y ago
Rabbi, Jesus, Hammurabi doesn't look very universal to me. All three are based on the same tradition of Abrahamic religions and looks mediterianian centric to me. Universal for me would include people in Asia, Australian Aborigines, South America, Inuit etc.
- logfromblammo 10y ago
  Those are just the references I am most familiar with. The Wikipedia page [0] shows many other references, but unfortunately does not currently distinguish between silver rule (don't be a hypocrite) and golden rule (be an exemplar of your own virtues). The limited, proportional punishment maxim also has a page [1]. The origin is undoubtedly Middle Eastern, but migration, empire-building, and colonialism has spread it around the globe. It is not quite universal, but it may have more adherents than any other incompatible principles regarding punishment and revenge. It is not surprising that concepts originating in the Middle East have spread far and wide. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are the #1, #2, and #6 religions. Religions from India are #3, #4, #5, #7, and #9. Confucianism is #8, and Shinto #10. In addition to the religions, there have been at least a dozen empires that spread from or through that region. Universal, for me, is a supermajority (>= 80%) of the economic power on the planet, which also makes a supermajority of the military influence. It's nice to throw non-influential cultures a bone every now and then, out of charity, but their children will be influenced by the cosmopolitan, global-market culture to a far greater extent than they will influence it in return. The cosmopolitan culture pushes itself into every corner of the globe with its mass-market broadcast media, and only pulls out the stuff that can be sold. It's like a "greatest hits" compilation album of every culture, heavily weighted by the history of world conquests. The Australian Aborigines, for example, got to export the boomerang and the didgeridoo. South America gave everyone chocolate, cocaine, and samba. Jamaica gave everyone ska, reggae, and jerk chicken. If you wanted to get your core ethics in there, you should have built your empire sooner, or maybe invented the printing press or radio first. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_for_an_eye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_for_an_eye

_Codemonkeyism 10y ago

Rabbi, Jesus, Hammurabi doesn't look very universal to me. All three are based on the same tradition of Abrahamic religions and looks mediterianian centric to me. Universal for me would include people in Asia, Australian Aborigines, South America, Inuit etc.

logfromblammo 10y ago
Those are just the references I am most familiar with. The Wikipedia page [0] shows many other references, but unfortunately does not currently distinguish between silver rule (don't be a hypocrite) and golden rule (be an exemplar of your own virtues). The limited, proportional punishment maxim also has a page [1]. The origin is undoubtedly Middle Eastern, but migration, empire-building, and colonialism has spread it around the globe. It is not quite universal, but it may have more adherents than any other incompatible principles regarding punishment and revenge. It is not surprising that concepts originating in the Middle East have spread far and wide. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are the #1, #2, and #6 religions. Religions from India are #3, #4, #5, #7, and #9. Confucianism is #8, and Shinto #10. In addition to the religions, there have been at least a dozen empires that spread from or through that region. Universal, for me, is a supermajority (>= 80%) of the economic power on the planet, which also makes a supermajority of the military influence. It's nice to throw non-influential cultures a bone every now and then, out of charity, but their children will be influenced by the cosmopolitan, global-market culture to a far greater extent than they will influence it in return. The cosmopolitan culture pushes itself into every corner of the globe with its mass-market broadcast media, and only pulls out the stuff that can be sold. It's like a "greatest hits" compilation album of every culture, heavily weighted by the history of world conquests. The Australian Aborigines, for example, got to export the boomerang and the didgeridoo. South America gave everyone chocolate, cocaine, and samba. Jamaica gave everyone ska, reggae, and jerk chicken. If you wanted to get your core ethics in there, you should have built your empire sooner, or maybe invented the printing press or radio first. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_for_an_eye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_for_an_eye