从理性人到行为人：评行为经济学对新古典正统理论的挑战

新古典理论的自闭倾向早已遭人诟病，去过程化、去动机化并且和社会性的制度不接洽的理性演绎模型确实可能需要对此负很大的责任。但是，行为经济学挥舞着“不现实性”的大棒对主流的新古典经济学进行批判是否就真的能够导向更经验、更科学的经济学？行为经济学强调引入心理学知识来使经济学建立在更现实的基础上的做法同其批判的新古典理论一样，都采取的是一种本能的、不加反思的态度对待如何抽象的问题，无非是一个更看重形式化的逻辑，而另一个更看重经验现实。有必要将行为经济学对于新古典正统的挑战看成是一场经济学内部的对话的展开。其最终的目的是使经济学家们对于经济学应有的学科定位、经济学和其他相邻学科尤其是人的行为的理论之间的界限、什么是适合于经济学的任务的关于人的抽象等达到更高程度的自觉。目前行为经济学表面上繁荣恰恰是以回避对这些基础性的问题进行思考为代价的。

From rational man to behavioral man: Behavioral economics’ challenge to the neoclassical orthodox

The autistic-ness of neoclassical theory has long been the target of criticism, for which the logic model of rational man which is de-processed, de-motivational, and without contact point with social institutions should be mainly held responsible. Now we have behavioral economics which accuses the rationality assumption in neoclassical economics as unrealistic. Can it result in a more realistic and scientific economics? Although behavioral economics puts much emphasis on empirical realism, it is no difference from neoclassical economics in that both evade the question of how to abstract and both adopt an instinctive and unreflective attitude toward it, only that one endorses a formal-mathematical route, while another one endorses an empiricist route. It’s advisable to see the challenge posed by behavioral economics as a dialogue within economic profession, whose ultimate purpose is to induce economists to reflect on such basic issues as what is economics’ disciplinary orientation, what is the boundary between economics and its closely related disciplines, what is the proper abstract of man in economics etc., and to be more self-conscious of them. The superficial prosperity of behavioral economics now is gained at the cost of getting all these basic issues circumvented.