“路径依赖”理论与技术、经济及法律制度的变迁

The Theory of Path Dependence and Institutional Changes in Technological, Economic and Legal Systems

自20世纪80年代开始,"路径依赖"的概念及其相关原理先后被应用于技术、经济与法律制度变迁的研究之中。保罗A·戴维和W·B·阿瑟首先对技术演进过程中自我强化机制和路径依赖性质进行了开创性的研究。道格拉斯·C·诺思将路径依赖的思想引入到制度变迁的分析框架之中,创立了制度变迁的路径依赖理论。艾夫纳.格瑞夫以博弈论为基本方法,对文化传统与制度变迁的路径依赖进行了深入系统的历史比较制度分析,进一步丰富、发展了制度变迁的路径依赖理论。欧纳A·哈萨维则应用路径依赖理论对普通法环境下的法律变迁进行了规范性分析,为路径依赖理论在法律制度变迁和历史的法与经济学中的应用,提供了新的思路和范例。在这一过程中,一方面,路径依赖理论为上述研究领域提供了一种全新的理论、方法和观察问题的视角,极大地推动了上述研究领域中诸多重大问题的研究与进展;另一方面,路径依赖理论自身也在其被应用的过程中不断地得到了补充、发展和完善。

Since the 1980s,the concept of Path Dependence and its relevant theories have been applied to the studies of institutional changes in technological,economic and legal systems.Paul A.David,and W.B.Arthur,initiated a pioneering research on self-reinforcement mechanism of technological evolution and nature of path dependence.Douglass C.North originated path dependence in institutional change,putting path dependence theory into the framework of institutional change analysis.Based on game theory,Avner Greif made intensive and systematic study in historic comparative institutional analyses concerning cultural tradition and path dependence in institutional change,which further enriched and promoted path dependence theory.Oona A.Hathaway applied path dependence theory into legal institutional change under the common law and conducted normative analysis,which offered innovative ideas and models for the application of path dependence into institutional changes in legal system and economics.During this course,on one hand path dependence provided a brand-new theory,approach and perspective for the research fields mentioned above,which greatly promoted the study and advancement in many significant problems in those fields.On the other hand,while it was being applied,path dependence theory itself has been complemented,developed and polished continuously.