Confucianism and the "Golden Rule"

[bobber205]

Proper social behavior consists of not treating others as you would not like to be treated yourself

I took this to be essentially the golden rule in class today but my Professor disagreed. He explained it with this example

"The golden rule means if someone is in a ditch, then you should help them out because that's what you would want if you were in a ditch. Confucianism is saying 'don't put someone in the ditch to begin with'".

I responded with "however, I would not want someone to NOT help me out of the ditch, so if I don't help someone out of the ditch, then I am breaking this rule".

He took this as not valid. What's the deal? Is this really what Confucianism is about? Seems wrong to me.

[Gelfin]

I don't know Confucianism really, but I think that to assume the "golden rule" only covers the positive case and ignores the negative case is to apply excessively literal parsing to the translation of the Biblical expression of the principle.

The sense people generally take from this rule is "treat others as you would wish to be treated," which certainly precludes throwing people in ditches.

[obeygiant]

I wouldn't want someone to not want to pull me from a ditch because I wouldn't not want to pull them out.

[Rt&Dzine]

Seems more like Confusionism.

[bobber205]

Seems more like Confusionism.

Ziiiiiiing! :D