Ever since we came down from the trees and started waving around our opposable thumbs, humans have been struggling with “ethics”. At its core, the idea is very simple – if I can make you do what I want, should I?

There are dozens of aphorisms around this theme:

• Might makes right
• The ends justify the means
• The meek shall inherit the Earth

And, of course, my personal favorite: The Golden Rule.

Now, there are a couple of problems with the Golden Rule – firstly, it’s often misquoted, which gives it an ugly twist. Before we dive into where things go wrong, here’s the version I prefer: Read the rest of this entry »