从孔德到哈耶克:社会机制研究的方法论

The Implementation Path of Mechanism-Based Empirical Research Methods in Social Sciences

在面对当代社会科学研究的挑战时,重新审视实证研究方法的实现路径显得尤为重要。本文旨在探索基于机制的社会科学研究方法论,特别关注在这一过程中如何避免“孔德陷阱”并回应哈耶克的诘难。文章首先回顾了社会科学研究方法的历史演变,特别指出由孔德实证主义导致的数量化趋势对现代社会科学研究方法的影响。尽管孔德的方法论推动了社会科学的发展,但过度的数量化导致了以数据挖掘取代解释的功能,从而导致模型脱离真实世界,即所谓的“孔德陷阱”。同时,哈耶克对孔德主义的“同质性诘难”和“因果性诘难”,为我们提供了重要的反思视角,他强调知识的分散性、社会系统的复杂性,以及预测的局限性。进而,复杂性与开放性也使得社会科学中稳定因果关系的建构面临挑战。基于此,本文提出了社会机制研究作为一个重要的替代性方法论路径。社会机制研究关注过程,通过识别事件的作用主体并建构其相互作用关系,揭示了比变量相关模型更深层次的社会现象涌现机制。在比较不同社会机制研究方法的基础上,本文构建了基于归纳与演绎的研究方法连续谱,强调了通过个案与模型的迭代融合实现研究效果的提升,为社会科学的多元化方法论提供了重要补充与扩展。最后,对基于机制的社会科学实证研究方法进行了批判性自省,强调尽管这些方法有其优势,但在应对社会现象的多元性和复杂性时,仍需积极寻求创新方法来回应社会科学研究的新挑战。

In facing the challenges of contemporary social science research,a critical reassessment of the pathways for implementing empirical research methods is particularly important.This paper aims to explore the mechanism-based research methods in social sciences,with special attention to avoiding the"Comtean Trap"and responding to Hayek's challenges.The article first reviews the historical evolution of social science research methods,particularly noting Comte's positivism and its influence on the quantitative trend in modern social science research methods.Although Comte's method advanced the development of social sciences,excessive quantification led to data mining replacing explanation and models becoming detached from empirical reality,known as the"Comtean Trap".Meanwhile,Hayek's challenges of"homogeneity"and"causality"provide important reflective perspectives.He emphasized the dispersion of knowledge,the complexity of social systems,and the limitations of prediction.Consequently,the complexity and openness also make the construction of stable causal relationships in social sciences a challenge.Based on this,the article proposes research on social mechanisms as an important alternative methodological pathway.Social mechanisms focus on processes,identify the roles of events,and construct their connections,opening a more in-depth interpretive pathway to the social world than variable models.Upon comparing different social mechanism research methods,the article constructs a continuum of research methods based on induction and deduction,emphasizing the enhancement of research effectiveness through the iterative integration of cases and models,thus providing an important supplement and expansion to the diversified methodologies in social sciences.Finally,the article critically introspects the mechanism-based empirical research methods in social sciences,emphasizing that although these methods have their advantages,in facing the diversity and complexity of social phenomena,there is also a need to actively seek innovative methods to respond to the new challenges of social science research.