Is the Golden Rule Gold or Garbage?

Treat others as you want to be treated. Jesus, Confucius, Hillel, and great religious leaders throughout history have all pointed to the golden rule as the best summary of how to live. Yet most academics dismiss it, saying it's too vague and doesn't address the problems of the real world. Which side is right? Fr. Harry Gensler, S.J., is a philosophy professor at John Carroll University in Cleveland. He is at Boston College this year writing a book about the golden rule.