Golden Rule Meaning

(ethics) The principle that one should treat other people in the manner in which one would want to be treated by them.

Example: 1859, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, ch. 10:
  It is all-important to remember that naturalists have no golden rule by which to distinguish species and varieties.
1818, Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy, ch. 2:
  "Mr. Francis seems to understand the fundamental principle of all moral accounting, the great ethic rule of three. Let A do to B, as he would have B do to him; the product will give the rule of conduct required." My father smiled at this reduction of the golden rule to arithmetical form.