經濟學與存有論

Economics and Ontology

本文探討經濟學倚重的四項存有論：原子論、經驗論、自然法則觀、複雜觀，並且討論彼等如何影響該學科之分析方法與範疇；另外亦分析這些存有論與當今世界之契合程度以及妥當存有論對削減理論困境的助益。研究顯示，基於社會發展、科技進步、人類特質之益加重要等因素，現階段將經濟世界譬喻為機器論之宇宙觀存有不少弊端，致使伴隨該宇宙觀之前揭存有論與真實世界之契合度日漸下降，造成不相關研究之問題日益嚴重，理論之解釋與應用能力深受打擊。基此，在思想與實務密切合作之前提下，當前首應進行妥當存有論之建立，之後輔以相關分析方法與技能之研發，以便開拓嶄新研究取徑，在帶來更相關研究之餘，亦根源性提升理論之應用能力。

This article examines important ontologies of economics: atomism, empiricism, the natural law outlook, and the complicated world-view, and explores their influences on research methods and scopes. We also assess the applicability of these ontologies to the modern world and the benefits of probable ontologies to theory’s formation and application. Based on social development, technology advancement, and the increasing importance of human characteristics in the economic arena, the metaphor of economy as a machine has become obsolescent, greatly reducing the compatibility of the above-mentioned ontologies and the real world and, consequently, damaging the applicability of economic theories. With this in mind, under the premise of collaboration between philosophical thinkers and analytical practitioners, the establishment of new and proper ontologies is urgently called for. With these in hand, practitioners can develop new analytical methods and skills that enable a brand-new research approach and contribute to the rise of relevant theories and useful applications.