The Eighth Guideline

Balance personal rights with social duties.

Why it may be perceived negatively

There will always be people who are only concerned with their own interests regardless of the consequences for others.

Why the issue should not be ignored

This guideline reflects the Aristotelian principle of the “golden mean” whereby the ideal virtue lies between two undesirable extremes. In this case selfishness would be the vice of a person disproportionately concerned with their own personal rights and neglecting their duties towards others, whilst the converse of extreme selflessness at the expense of one’s personal wellbeing would be the vice at the other end of the spectrum. The “golden mean” in this case is to find the right balance between personal rights and social duty – that is, our obligation to act in a way which benefits society as a whole.

This principle applies to organisations as well as individuals. For instance, any business has in addition to its primary function of generating profits, a duty to behave ethically and contribute to economic development, while improving the quality of life for the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large. When these duties are ignored, society ceases to function effectively and we experience severe economic and social problems.

What could be achieved?

Again, the sky is the limit if humanity manages to sort out its priorities and work together for the good of all.