Paradigms for Studying Chinese Moral Thought: A Metatheoretical Analysis

Abstract

Granting previous empirical researches using Kohlberg’s paradigm and Rest’s (Manual for the defining issue test: An objective test of moral judgment development. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, 1974; Development in judging moral issues. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1979) four-part model as examples of imposed etic approach, Bloom’s (Social principledness and social humanism: A cross-cultural investigation into dimensions of politico-moral reasoning. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1974; Journal of Social Psychology 101: 29–44, 1977) distinction between social principledness and social humanism, as well as Wilson’s (The moral state: A study of the political socialization of Chinese and American children. NY: The Free Press, 1974) model of moral development as examples of derived etic approach, this chapter provided a critique on the limitations of etic approach for understanding Chinese moral thought. Ma’s (Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies 7: 166–212, 1997) bi-parameter model of Chinese moral development was used as an example of emic approach for criticizing the bottom-up model building paradigm of indigenous psychology. The advantage of the current research strategy to attain the epistemological goal of indigenous psychology was discussed in the context of philosophy of science.KeywordsImposed eticDerived eticEmicKohlberg’s paradigmFour-part modelSocial principlednessSocial humanismBi-parameter model