--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we decide what to do, we in effect…" description: "\"“When we decide what to do, we in effect proclaim our wish that our conduct be made into a \"universal law.\" Therefore when a rational being decides to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/james-rachels-62371_treat-people_when-we-decide-what-to-do-we-in-effect-p_2784139.png" --- # When we decide what to do, we in effect proclaim our wish… ![“When we decide what to do, we in effect proclaim our wish that our conduct be made into a "universal law." Therefore when a rational being decides to treat people in a certain way he decrees that in his judgement, this is the way people ought to be treated. Thus if we treat him the same way in…” quote by James Rachels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/james-rachels-62371_treat-people_when-we-decide-what-to-do-we-in-effect-p_2784139.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/james-rachels-62371_treat-people_when-we-decide-what-to-do-we-in-effect-p_2784139.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/james-rachels-62371_treat-people_when-we-decide-what-to-do-we-in-effect-p_2784139.png) > ““When we decide what to do, we in effect proclaim our wish that our conduct be made into a "universal law." Therefore when a rational being decides to treat people in a certain way he decrees that in his judgement, this is the way people ought to be treated. Thus if we treat him the same way in return we are doing nothing more than treating him as he has decided people are to be treated.”” [James Rachels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rachels/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treat others as you would want to be treated; this universal principle guides moral actions. **In simple terms:** Treat others as you’d like to be treated. Key Takeaway Apply the golden rule in decisions. Themes ethics universalism reciprocity Mood reflective ethical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - personal relationships - business negotiations - lawmaking Key Concepts moral philosophy Kantian ethics human rights Questions to Reflect On - How does the golden rule apply in your work? - What challenges arise when others disagree? A Different Perspective Cultural differences may affect interpretations of “universal.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law Rational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-rational-1861859/) [Rational Decides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational-decides-3332361/) [Treat People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-people/) [Treating Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treating-decided-3332362/) [Universal Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal-law-278820/) ## Related quotes > [Courts of law, and all the paraphernalia and folly of law cannot be found in a rational state of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-owen/courts-of-law-and-all-the-paraphernalia-and-folly-of-law-cannot-be/) [Robert Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-owen/) > [There is the enormous corpus of Islamic law that is very rich. However, law is one rational exercise of reason. Philosophy is very different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/there-is-the-enormous-corpus-of-islamic-law-that-is-very-rich-however/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [Finally, is not liberty the restricting of the law only to its rational sphere of organizing the right of the individual to lawful self-defense;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/finally-is-not-liberty-the-restricting-of-the-law-only-to-its/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“This is nothing more than the application of a universal law, a law in effect since the time human beings were human beings: “A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-carron/this-is-nothing-more-than-the-application-of-a-universal-law-a-law-in/) [Julian Carron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-carron/) > [“Karma is the universal law that applies to each and every one of us. It means simply that everything you do will come back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aten/karma-is-the-universal-law-that-applies-to-each-and-every-one-of-us/) [James Aten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aten/) > [“Anarchy is any form of freedom that is outside the law. In your case, you should rather understand universal law and abide by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/anarchy-is-any-form-of-freedom-that-is-outside-the-law-in-your-case/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [Now think about the Universal Law. It reflects to you exactly and precisely what you put out. If your thought-forms say, "I haven't got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-wilde/now-think-about-the-universal-law-it-reflects-to-you-exactly-and/) [Stuart Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-wilde/) > [When you look at organized religion of whatever sort whether it's Christianity in all its variants, or whether it's Islam or some forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/when-you-look-at-organized-religion-of-whatever-sort-whether-it-s/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Man must know the principle of Creation: giving between each interchanging opposite half of each cycle for the purpose of repeating its giving. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/man-must-know-the-principle-of-creation-giving-between-each/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [“Thus is worked out, from maggots up to man, the universal law of the violent destruction of living beings. The whole earth, continually steeped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/thus-is-worked-out-from-maggots-up-to-man-the-universal-law-of-the/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [There is one universal law that has been formed, or at least adoptedby the majority of mankind. That law is justice. Justice forms the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/there-is-one-universal-law-that-has-been-formed-or-at-least-adoptedby/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“Truth flows from universal law, not personal views.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-agno/truth-flows-from-universal-law-not-personal-views/) [John Agno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-agno/) > [“A faulty understanding of science, along with rigorism and spiritual flattening in religion, termed scientism or biblicism, respectively, have taken hold of the Book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florian-dreveskracht/a-faulty-understanding-of-science-along-with-rigorism-and-spiritual/) [Florian Dreveskracht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florian-dreveskracht/) > [In the world of celebrity, there is one universal law: if there's a scandal or death, Al Sharpton will be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-amos/in-the-world-of-celebrity-there-is-one-universal-law-if-there-s-a/) [Shawn Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-amos/) > [“Feel sorry for anyone who thinks what they think is right should be some universal law”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huntley-fitzpatrick/feel-sorry-for-anyone-who-thinks-what-they-think-is-right-should-be/) [Huntley Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huntley-fitzpatrick/) ## More by James Rachels > [Our triumphs seem hollow unless we have friends to share them, and our failures are made bearable by their understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rachels/our-triumphs-seem-hollow-unless-we-have-friends-to-share-them-and-our/) [James Rachels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rachels/) > [A psychological explanation of our feelings is not a moral explanation of our conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rachels/a-psychological-explanation-of-our-feelings-is-not-a-moral/) [James Rachels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rachels/) > [The concept of God as a loving, all-powerful person, who created us, who has a plan for us, who issues commandments, and who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rachels/the-concept-of-god-as-a-loving-all-powerful-person-who-created-us-who/) [James Rachels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rachels/) > [“The raw data of anthropologists can be misleading; it can make the differences in values between cultures appear greater than they are...It is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rachels/the-raw-data-of-anthropologists-can-be-misleading-it-can-make-the/) [James Rachels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rachels/) [Explore all 5 James Rachels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rachels/) ## More Treat People quotes > [I have tried to treat people on the other side civilly and look for common ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-klobuchar/i-have-tried-to-treat-people-on-the-other-side-civilly-and-look-for/) [Amy Klobuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-klobuchar/) > [In a relationship you want to treat people the way you want to be treated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-cooper/in-a-relationship-you-want-to-treat-people-the-way-you-want-to-be/) [Bradley Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-cooper/) > [I put a lot of emphasis on how to treat people. The reason for this is simple. The real success of our personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-put-a-lot-of-emphasis-on-how-to-treat-people-the-reason-for-this-is/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [Even if we treat people kindly & honestly, most of them will still hate us for some reasons we can't understand. That's how life works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/even-if-we-treat-people-kindly-honestly-most-of-them-will-still-hate/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Cancer begins and ends with people. In the midst of scientific abstraction, it is sometimes possible to forget this one basic fact. Doctors treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-goodfield/cancer-begins-and-ends-with-people-in-the-midst-of-scientific/) [June Goodfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-goodfield/) > [“As a Spirit-filled believer, you need to take the initiative to treat people the way you want to be treated, not the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/as-a-spirit-filled-believer-you-need-to-take-the-initiative-to-treat/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [I grew up with the thought that I wanted to treat people the way I'd like to be treated, and I think if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-ryan/i-grew-up-with-the-thought-that-i-wanted-to-treat-people-the-way-i-d/) [Nolan Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-ryan/) > [Treat the people the way you expect them to treat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishchal-ningleku/treat-the-people-the-way-you-expect-them-to-treat-you/) [Nishchal Ningleku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishchal-ningleku/) > [There are some people who physically are not beautiful. But the way they are, the way they treat people, they become beautiful, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/there-are-some-people-who-physically-are-not-beautiful-but-the-way/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The simple idea that if you treat people well, the way you would like to be treated, they will do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isadore-sharp/the-simple-idea-that-if-you-treat-people-well-the-way-you-would-like/) [Isadore Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isadore-sharp/) > [“Most of the time, if you treat people right, you don't have to be afraid of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-kelly/most-of-the-time-if-you-treat-people-right-you-don-t-have-to-be/) [Kathy Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-kelly/) > [For me, it's common sense to treat other people like you would like to be treated. Empathy is a broad concept, but how do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-munoz/for-me-it-s-common-sense-to-treat-other-people-like-you-would-like-to/) [Oscar Munoz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-munoz/) > [Listen to people and treat people as you find them. There's an inherent goodness in most people. Don't pre-judge people - that was me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-bean/listen-to-people-and-treat-people-as-you-find-them-there-s-an/) [Sean Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-bean/) > [Be yourself. Be honest. Do your best. Take care of your family. Treat people with respect. Follow your dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-yourself-be-honest-do-your-best-take-care-of-your-family-treat/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to be a great leader, remember to treat all people with respect at all times. For one, because you never know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/if-you-want-to-be-a-great-leader-remember-to-treat-all-people-with/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) [Browse all 362 Treat People quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When we decide what to do, we in effect proclaim our wish that our conduct be made into a \"universal law.\" Therefore when a rational being decides to treat people in a certain way he decrees that in his judgement, this is the way people ought to be treated. 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