己所不欲勿施于人
Golden Rule
Confucianism · teachingDo not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself. In the Analects, this negative maxim is linked to shu (恕, reciprocity) and appears in discussions of how to practice humaneness (ren, 仁). It offers a boundary for conduct rather than a complete list of every ethical duty.
Context and Boundaries
Analects 15:24 presents the maxim as Confucius's answer to Zigong's request for one guiding word: shu, followed by 己所不欲，勿施於人. The same formulation appears in Analects 12:2 within Confucius's answer about practicing ren, so its context is reciprocal restraint within a wider Confucian ethical vocabulary.
What this does not establish: The negative form should not be expanded into a claim that one knows exactly what every other person wants. The Analects passage gives a restraint against imposing what one would reject; context, roles, ritual propriety, and other virtues still matter.
A restrained present-day reading: Oriens interpretation: the maxim can function as a pause before imposing a burden, request, or treatment on another person. That use is a modern application of a text-bound discipline of reciprocity, not proof that all ethical situations have one simple answer.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
— Analects, Book 15, Chapter 24 (Confucius)
What Are the Key Facts About Golden Rule?
- Tradition: Confucianism
- Chinese: 己所不欲勿施于人
- Category: Teaching
- Definition: Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself.
What Cards Are Related to Golden Rule?
What Concepts Are Related to Golden Rule?
Ren 仁What Other Guides Cover Confucianism?
Frequently Asked Questions About Golden Rule
What is the golden rule?
The golden rule is the ethical principle of treating others as one wishes to be treated. It appears across traditions, most familiar in Christianity as 'do to others what you would have them do to you.'
What is the Confucian version of the golden rule?
Confucius gives a negative form: 'Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself' (shu, Analects 15.24). This is often called the Silver Rule.
Is the golden rule in Taoism or Buddhism?
Parallels exist: Confucianism (shu), and a negative form appears in Buddhism's Udana ('if you are afflicted, don't afflict others') and in Stoic and Hellenistic sources. The positive form is prominent in Christianity.
What are the limits of the golden rule?
Critics note it assumes others want what you want; it works best alongside empathy and contextual judgment rather than as a mechanical rule.
Where to Read Next
- What Is the Confucian Golden Rule?The longer textual context and source-owned questions.
- Ren (Humaneness)The related virtue discussed in Analects 12:2.
Sources and Limits
- Analects, Book 15, Chapter 24Shu and 己所不欲，勿施於人
- Analects, Book 12, Chapter 2Ren and the same maxim