Philosophy's Not Boring

What is the Golden Rule?

Sunday · 12 min · Season 1 · Episode 403 · 9.2 MB
0:00-12:46

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Have you ever been asked the ultimate grown-up question: "How would you like it if someone did that to you?" That is called the Golden Rule, and it holds one of the most mind-bending puzzles in all of human history! Thousands of years ago, before the internet, cars, or airplanes, people all over the world somehow discovered the exact same rule completely on their own!

Join Mira and Finn on an exciting journey back to ancient China to meet a wandering teacher named Confucius. He lived during a stressful time of chaos and war, but he believed one single word could change everything: empathy! Discover why Confucius's brilliant version of this idea is actually called the "Silver Rule" (and how it can save you from a horrible macaroni and cheese disaster!).

Why did ancient people in India, Greece, and the Americas all figure out this exact same trick to surviving together? Is it just a clever cheat code for getting along, or does it prove that human beings share something much deeper? Tune in to power up your very own "empathy simulator" and solve the great puzzle of the Golden Rule!