Priority moral and ethical qualities in Russia and China: a comparative analysis based on empirical research

The subject of the study is the peculiarities of perception and prioritization of moral and ethical values among Russians and Chinese based on an associative experiment, the object of the study is moral and ethical values in Russia and China. The authors consider in detail such aspects as the key differences in the moral and ethical values of the two cultures, the influence of historical and philosophical traditions on the formation of ethical norms. Special attention is paid to such phenomena as globalization, technological progress, the spread of individualistic values, as well as subsequent changes in moral and ethical guidelines in both China and Russia. The authors note the importance of preserving traditional values and passing them on to the next generations. The directed associative experiment conducted by the authors helps to fully consider the object and subject of the study, which helps to identify the most significant moral and ethical categories in the minds of Russians and Chinese. The research methodology is determined by the set goal and is complex in nature: general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, a descriptive method with methods of observation and generalization, a comparative method and a method of socio-cultural analysis were used, and a linguistic associative experiment was conducted. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the cross-cultural comparison of associative ideas about morality, which makes it possible to identify social and historical factors influencing the formation of morality and ethics in the two countries. The conducted associative testing revealed key differences and similarities in the perception of the main moral and ethical categories by Chinese and Russian societies. Using the results and statistics of the experiment, the authors came to the conclusion about the profound influence of Confucianism and collectivist culture on the worldview of the Chinese, as well as on the connection of Christianity, Russian art and the hierarchy in society established in the earlier period of Russian history with modern value orientations of Russians. At the moment, the number of scientific papers examining the difference between Chinese and Russian mentalities using an integrated and multifaceted approach using practical methods seems to be very limited. The results obtained can be useful for further research in the field of intercultural communication and international relations.