Abstract: Chinese scholars study of western ethics has been coming through a course of more than a hundred years, which may be divided into four periods: germination ( 1895-1910) , preliminary prosperity ( 1911-1949) ,depression ( 1950-1978) , and renais sance ( 1979-2000) . In their main lines stand out the case s tudy, comparative study inclusive of elementary, part ial and whole vie wpoints, his torical study, and comprehensive s tudy inclusive of microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic perspectives. On the whole, the outcome of thei r case study has been fairly abundant, that of their elementarily comparative s tudy climbed up to some remarkable degree in 1930s- 1940s and in 1980s-1990s, that of their partially and wholly comparative study has been plain for the most part , their historical study fruited in a great deal in 1980s-1990s, leaving however a few virgin fields to cultivate in the history of both single nation and single period, their mesoscopic and microscopic study shared a considerable harvest in 1980s 1990s, but thei r macroscopic study has been by far producing i ts works in few and without energy. Standing on the foundation set down in the study of over a century, Chinese scholars should at present be enabled in the macroscopically comprehensive study of western ethics on a large scale.

Key words: western ethics, case study, comparative study, historical study, comprehensive study, macroscopi cally comprehensive study