The previous chapter emphasized the inclusive character of civil society. Civil society includes all of us as global citizens. This chapter examines the civic norm that holds civil society together: reciprocity. If we are to replace property relations with civic relations, then we need to replace the exclusive focus on individual gain with a relational notion of reciprocity as the basis for the economy. We need to restore reciprocity as the moral foundation for making provisions. No better place to begin than with the following from the Analects of Confucius:

Confucius' definition of reciprocity will remind Western readers of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others what you would want them to do to you.” One finds reciprocity practiced in many cultures as a principle for human relationships. In most formulations, what I want or do not want serves as a guide for treating others. This assumes that everyone is more or less the same – others will want or not want the same as I would. In traditional cultures, this assumption worked quite well, but it has some limitations in our pluralistic culture. People from different cultures and backgrounds have different expectations and different wants.