Wattles offers a comprehensive survey of the history of the golden rule, "Do unto others as you want others to do unto you". He traces the rule's history in contexts as diverse as the writings of Confucius and the Greek philosophers, the Bible, modern theology and philosophy, and the American "self-help" context. He concludes by offering his own synthesis of these varied understandings.
Wattle surveys the history of the golden rule and its spectrum of meanings in diverse contexts, ranging from Confucius to Plato and Aristotle, from classical Jewish literature to the New Testament. Wattles explores the use of the rule by some early 20th century American leaders and examines various psychological theories about the imaginative role reversal the rule suggests.
It reveals new depth in a topic that more high-flown approaches are likely to dismiss too quickly....richly woven...
