此計畫旨在研究台灣人的群性、或者台灣人的自我中心觀，筆者試圖解開一個長久以來台灣社會的大迷思：「到底台灣人是一盤散沙？還是團體主義？」，似乎講到公德心的時候，很多社會上反省批判的聲音指向「台灣人自掃門前雪，不管他人瓦上霜」，因此台灣社會充滿著自利行為者。但一提到家族、親友關係、孝道，甚至是一般行為時，或者做決策時，台灣人相較於歐美社會，似乎更喜歡躲在群體的保護傘當中。為了解開上述迷思，筆者援引分析美國個人主義的理論，並考量台灣國情，將美國的個人主義分析架構「本土化」，創造出「個人集體的公私分野」的架構，此架構含納個人主義、集體主義、公領域與私領域四個元素，這個架構除了能詮釋台灣的個人與集體主義的現象，也能詮釋美國的個人主義與集體主義的現象。該理論給的假設性答案為：台灣人在公領域，偏向個人主義，因此很難對公界付出責任與義務；在私領域，偏向集體主義，習慣以地緣或者血緣出發，發展宗族或者家族主義，進而發展出族群政治，請見表一。理性國家： 理性國家：動機美、台動機美、台感性國家： 理性國家：動機美、(台) 動機美、台公民參與高公民參與高公領域私領域集體主義高公德心高以地緣、血緣、宗教出發的 (個人主義低) 跨群性、資源共享宗族、族群、種族或教區主義 (個人主義高) 對公領域無責任義務心自我中心公民參與低公民參與低表一：個人集體的公私分野架構集體主義低公德心低人際關係薄弱重要的是，以「個人集體的公私分野」來預測政治參與。若個人在公領域非常個人主義的話，個人不會選擇政治參與，與理性抉擇模式預測符合；個人在公領域個人主義低則傾向政治參與；個人在私領域個人主義高則顯現退縮的社會人格，傾向不參與；個人在私領域個人主義低，則政治參與熱烈如台灣的參與模式。此計劃預計貢獻有三。第一、植基於華人本土心理學，充實台灣個人主義v.集體主義的內涵；第二、解開「台灣人到底是一盤散沙？抑或集體主義？」的迷思；最後、詮釋台灣的高政治參與率。 This project proposal aims to answer a key question: are Taiwanese collectivistic or individualistic? On the one hand, Taiwanese seem to be collectivistic when it comes to familism, hierarch in workplace and school, and vulnerability to peer group pressure. On the other hand, Taiwanese seem to be self-centered and individualistic regarding contribution to public goods. Chinese philosophers like Lian Qichao would argue against the individualism to which Chinese people subscribe and argue that it will retard the development of the Chinese society. In solving the myth regarding whether or not Taiwanese is individualistic or collectivism, my answer is that it depends. In public domain, Taiwanese tend to be individualistic and it is represented as a social pattern that Taiwanese people do not have the idea of “public goods” and individuals in Taiwanese society are utility maximizes and try to get what they want; very few people are willing to contribute tokens into the public pool. In private places, with families and friends who share the same ethnic background, however, Taiwanese are willing to gather so as to gain benefits and attain common goals. This is what I call the “ambivalence of collectivism”.What is important is that Taiwanese have the idea of socially gathering in private place and due to this idea they tend to participate in politics. This is hypothetically why there is an unusually high political participation level in Taiwan, compared with that in the United States and Europe. All in all, this research proposal aims to study the connection between political participation and collectivism belief in Taiwan.
