East Asian Family Ethics in Crisis: Hegelian Analysis of Meritocracy Versus Warmth Logics

ABSTRACT We employ Hegel's dialectical phenomenological method to conceptualize meritocracy logic (valuing performance through quantifiable metrics) and warmth logic (sustaining cohesion through emotional bonds) as interpretive paradigms for East Asian families. Analyzing regional crises through Hegelian dialectics, we reveal that the negation of warmth by meritocracy causes the dissolution of the ethical entity (the family's ethical foundation). To resolve this, we propose cognitive restructuring, rebuilding community, and establishing an ethical division of labor —a degendered concept reconceptualized from Hegel's ethical gender via Butler's theory. Our dialectical reconstruction aims to synthesize meritocracy and warmth, providing theoretical and practical pathways to reshape family ethics in East Asia.