Very true about Confucius, Plato, Buddha all saying similar things to the golden rule, plus they said it earlier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule
The big change that this way of thinking brought in, in about 500 BC was empathy, particularly for people who are not of your family, tribe, town. Enlightened self interest starting, the beginning of civilisation as we know it.
Now however we are moving on as your training course highlights, treat people as they want to be treated. The rise of individualism and how we now value it.
Did you know the word individual didn't come into the English language until the 1830s?