也谈“诺斯第二悖论”及其求解

Rethinking on “the Second North Paradox” and its Solutionalso on the Relation between Two Kinds of Transaction Cost

通过对诺斯关于交易成本、制度与经济绩效之间关系的深入梳理 ,尤其是通过引入诺斯区分过的两种交易成本即“每一笔交易的交易成本”与“社会总和交易成本”概念 ,笔者认为国内学者讨论的所谓“诺斯第二悖论”其实并不成立 ;同时 ,两种交易成本在量上并不是简单的加总关系。前者更多指狭义的“内生交易成本” ,而后者更侧重于指“外生交易成本”。

Through a deeply study on the relationship among transaction cost, institution and economic performance, especially on two kinds of transaction cost, say, “transaction cost of each business” and “aggregate transaction cost of a society”, distinguished by North, we can get the conclusion that the so-called “the second North Paradox” discussed by domestic economists doesn't exist as a paradox in fact. And at the same time, “aggregate transaction cost of a society”is not the simple summation of “transaction cost of each business”. The former prefers “exogenous transaction cost” whereas the latter emphasize particularly on “endocentric transaction cost”.