国际关系实证主义方法论的思想演变:从“物质”到“观念”

The Ideological Evolution of Positivism Methodology in International Relations:Varying from Material First to Concept First

实证主义方法论是西方社会科学研究的主流方法论,它在很大程度上植根于西方思想中的实证主义思潮和现代科学哲学,它们构成了国际关系实证方法的思想基础。本文以实证主义方法论本身的逻辑为前提,通过梳理与社会科学紧密相关的实证主义方法论思想,指出实证主义方法论仅仅为国际关系研究提供了一种"论证"的方法,它不能保证我们对国际关系理论认识的客观性。它和历史的、哲学的方法在论证方面不分轩轾,只是根据对象的不同,其适用范围有所区别。

Positivism Methodology is deeply rooted in the positivism thought and modern scientific philosophy in the whole Western thinking,which constitute the intellectual basis of empirical methods in IR.On the premise of Positivism's own logic and by reviewing the clues of positivism thinking that are closely related to social sciences,we find that positivism methodology in international relations only provides 'demonstration' approaches,and cannot guarantee the objectivity of our understanding of the theories in international relations.It shares an equal importance with the historical method and philosophical method in demonstration,all of which will find their places according to different objects and different scopes.