Silence or Acquiescence: The Emergence and Evolution of Online Pan-Moralism in Weibo Hotspot Comment Sections

Drawing on an analysis of Weibo comments on trending news events and applying an LDA topic model, this study examines how online pan-moralism emerges and develops within the interplay between cultural psychology and platform-based interaction.The findings indicate that the formation of pan-moralism on Weibo is fundamentally driven by the culturally mediated transformation of individual emotions into collective moral attributions.Its evolutionary trajectory unfolds through a sequence of emotional expression, collective moral evaluation, opinion polarization, and the diffusion of labeling practices.The study further reveals that pan-moralism in Weibo's comment sections not only restructures the agenda of online discussions but also intensifies the tension between rational deliberation and emotional mobilization.These dynamics highlight the distinctive cultural logic underlying China's digital public sphere and provide empirical insights into opinion guidance in contemporary networked communication environments.