诺斯与马克思:关于社会发展和制度变迁动力的比较

道格拉斯·诺斯是新制度主义在经济史学方面的代表。他从总体上说是一个制度变迁动力的多元论者,但又视人口变化是制度变迁的最终动力。本文对诺斯关于制度变迁动力的解释与马克思关于社会发展动力的理论进行了比较,说明诺斯对马克思的生产力一元动力论的批评,即过分强调技术进步、缺少解释技术进步速率的理论,是缺少根据的。本文以有关史实证明,诺斯以人口增减为基本动因对所谓“两次经济革命”的解释是不成立的;不可更改的历史事实始终对马克思的一元论唯物史观提供着坚实而有力的支持。

North and Marx: A Comparison between Social Development and Incentives for Systemic Changes

Douglas C. North, a representative of New institutionalism in economic history, believes that the dynamic for institutional changes are of multifold, though he considers population changes to be the ultimate one. This article compares North's explanations for dynamic of institutional changes with Marx's theory concerning dynamic for social development. The authors maintain that North's criticism against the idea that productivity is the only basic dynamic for social development proposed by Marx is not well grounded. North has put too much emphasis on technological development and failed to offer theoretical interpretation for the speed of technological development. The authors conclude that North's explanation for "two economic revolutions" promoted by population changes does not hold water, while the monist material historical conception by Marx has been firmly supported by reliable historical evidence.