评“趋同论”

On the "Theory of Gradual Merger"

"趋同"是一个很时髦的词,不少社会学家、未来学家都喜欢咀嚼它; "趋同论" 则是由趋同一词引伸而来并逐渐发展的一种社会进化理论,基本观点是认为当代资本主义制度和当代社会主义制度越来越具有相似的特征,从而使两种社会制度互相靠近,据说会走向一种既非资本主义也非社会主义的混合型社会.这种"理论"的方法论基础主要是唯技术决定论,它的政治意图在于证明资本主义制度永生不灭.对其结论我们是不取的,至于论点应当给予有力的驳斥.

Recently, the theory of a gradual merger of capitalism with socialism is becomingfashionable among sociologists and futurologists. By stressing the process of a gradualevolution, it advocates that capitalism, with its shareholding system and state regula-tion, and socialism, characterized by the integration of a planned economy with a newmarket economy, are moving towards a stage of complete coincidence in a 'mixed' sys-tem of economy, administration, and technology. The development of electronics istaken to be a decisive factor in this social change. The author points out that the po-litical implication of this theory is nothing but the permanent status of capitalism.