Dear Neighbor,
Across time, cultures, and continents, there’s been one piece of ethical wisdom that pops up again and again, like a universal heartbeat. The golden rule: treat others the way you’d like to be treated. It’s the ethical North Star that transcends time and place, showing up in different forms but carrying the same message: you matter, and so does everyone else. It’s the starting point of ethical objectivism because it gives us a stable foundation: if you wouldn’t want it done to you, don’t do it to others. And if you’d appreciate it, then maybe offer it.
But this isn’t just about one rule. It’s about realizing that some ethical principles have a kind of universality. They remind us that, at our core, we all understand fairness, kindness, and respect in similar ways. Even when cultures differ, this golden thread runs through our shared humanity.
Of course, we’ve seen that some rules get blurry over time. Honesty, for example, might seem less absolute in a world of white lies and shifting norms. But when we look at it through the lens of the golden rule, it becomes clear again: would you want to be lied to? Sometimes the answer is yes for kindness, but often the answer is no when truth matters. And that’s the beauty of an ethical starting point that transcends culture: it asks us to treat others as we’d want to be treated, and it holds up even when other rules shift.
So as we explore ethical objectivism, let’s start here: with the timeless idea that how we treat others should reflect how we hope to be treated ourselves. It’s a simple rule, but it’s a powerful starting point for building a more universal ethical compass.
Still holding onto the golden thread,
~ The Radical Left