科斯理论中的界权成本及其现实意义

The Delimitation Cost in Coase Theory and Practical Significance

科斯仙逝,并未削弱其理论对于我国学界的影响力。只是法学界的误解仍多,典型表现为专注于零交易成本假设下的科斯定理的证成或者证伪,甚至批判科斯法律经济学忽略界权成本的考量,并试图构建与交易成本相媲美的界权成本理论体系。实际上,科斯有关局限条件下合约选择的理论精髓,本身就涵摄了界权成本的影响因子。科斯并未主张以法律取代市场,而是揭示法律构成市场、企业和政府机制的基础和依托,法律通过明晰产权边界,作出合理适当的制度安排,节约交易成本包括界权成本。科斯理论对重新审视、正确界定我国政府和市场、企业的关系,具有重大现实意义。

Coase passed away but his theories continue to influence the Chinese academia.However,there are still many misinterpretations in the field of law.Some focus on proving the Coase Theorem right or wrong under the zero transaction cost assumption,to the extent of criticizing the Coase Law and Economics for ignoring the delimitation cost,and trying to form a delimitation cost theory system that is on par with the transaction cost theory.In fact,the essence of Coase theory about contractual choice under conditions already takes into consideration delimitation.Coase did not promote laws over economics at any cost.Instead,he reveals the fact that law is the foundation of markets,corporations and governmental institutions,and that law helps save transaction cost including delimitation cost via defining the boundary conditions of property rights.The Coase theory is of great practical significance for us to review and re-define the relationship of our government and the markets.