现代经济学的方法论反思与理论发展

A Reflection on the Methodology of Modern Economics and Its Theoretical Development

现代主流经济学热衷于照搬自然科学的研究思维和方法,这种强烈的方法论导向而非问题导向把经济学引入了一个致命误区:一者,经济学相对于自然科学缺乏定量的特性;二者,数学泛滥形成了以数学公式推演替代经济理论演绎的倾向。尽管如此,绝大多数经济学家却依旧保持熟视无睹的心态,甚至把反思者嘲讽为分析上的无能力者。其实,经济学具有不同于自然科学的学科特性,它研究的是社会现象背后的本质以及相互之间的作用机理,显然,这没有一个普适性的结论。因此,我们不能用形式逻辑一致性来评估经济理论的科学性,相反,经济理论的发展有赖于研究者的知识素养和人文关怀。

The mainstream modern economics is keen on copying the way of thinking and methodology of research in natural science. This strong tendency of methodology-oriented instead of problem-oriented methodology is a fatal mistake. For one thing, compared with natural science, economics is less quantitative by nature for another, excessive application of deduction through mathematic formula may result in the consequence of replacement of analyses based on economic theories. However, a majority of the economists assume an indifferent attitude towards this situation. Some even go the extreme of ridiculing people who reflect on this wrong tendency as being unable to analyze. As a matter of fact, the property of economics as a discipline differs from that of natural science. The research subject of economics is the nature behind social phenomena and their interactive mechanism. Obviously, very often no conclusion can be drawn to be universally applied. For the same reason, economic theories cannot be evaluated by consistency of formal logic. On the contrary, the development of economic theory depends on the researcher＇s knowledge scope and humane care.