新制度主義建構理性中國的成本

The Chinese Cost of Institutionalism

當代中國研究流行之新制度主義，源自經濟學，強調要釐清財產權，才能控制交易成本，提高效率。新制度學派屬於方法學上的個人主義，適用到發展中或後社主義國家時，充滿文化改造的衝動，因其研究對象處於多樣的集體財產狀態，且假設人在自私的物質利益外，還有其他生活動機。當新制度分析運用到中國時，只剩三條路；將中國文化改造、將新制度分析改造、假裝中國已是個人主義社會。然則其間付出的知識成本不知幾何。

New institutionalists must stress maximizing utility because they look at individuals as distinctively separate actors, and they must also stress methodological individualism. The problem in this is that many believe that the Chinese have a different mind-set which does not allow people to pursue individualized interests. While this is perhaps a disputable position for those who have never experienced the Chinese way of life, it is equally disputable to simply claim that all individuals make decisions as separate actors. It is unfortunate that that new institutional discourse has been so strongly imbedded in individualism that Sinologists who have had personal experiences or have done extensive field research in China can only ask research questions concerning the status, capacity, and interests of individuals. They have three alternatives in setting their research agenda: to be normative, prescriptive, and involved, but the resuthing new institutionalism is not scientifically universal; second, to revise new institutionalism and thus undermine its individualistic conviction; or to paint all Chinese as individualistic psyches, as if they are all one kind of homo behavioralist, only living in different contexts. In short, to extend new institutional analysis to China is not free, there is a heavy transaction cost.