理性选择模型与利他主义

Rational Choice Model and Altruism

20世纪70年代贝克尔声称理性选择模型可以纳入利他主义偏好,以完善对社会经济行为的分析。这种进路得到了一些人的附和和追随,在制度经济学等研究中形成了一定影响。本文试图对这一所谓的贝克尔进路做一番检讨。通过分析我们可以看到,纳入利他主义的理性选择模型存在以下问题:第一,纳入理性社会偏好之后,总效用的含义变得不可捉摸,使模型失去了理性行为的评判标准,模型变成了一种纯粹的数学表达式。第二,由于现实个案中的各偏好项并不是相互独立的,使得理性选择模型所固有纯粹形式化的功利算计原则不但不能为现实的个案提供指导和预测,反而会造成误导。最后,造成行动者偏好相互关联的根源在于行动主体心中的自我心理平衡,它反映了行动主体的社会性,而这似乎并不适合于用理性选择模型加以捕捉。

In 1970's,Mr.Becker claimed a new approach that the rational choice model can applied to any social behavior with introducing some social pref- erences.Such a approach are followed by many economists,and produced a influ- ence.This paper try to give a criticism,we can find that,the first,after having in- troduced the social preferences(or altruism preferences),the definition of the to- tal use becoming to ambiguous,and the standard of judging which behavior is ra- tional is lost.The second,because the preferences in practical cases are not inde- pendent each others,so the utilitarianism counting inherent in rational choice model not only fail to give any correct expectation,but make a wrong diagnosis.At last,we can find out that,the origin of making the mutual-dependence between self-interest preference and altruism preference is the mechanism of self-equilibri- um in subject's mentality,which reflect the social nature of subjects,and seem not appropriate for the rational choice model to deal with.