The Bond between Positive and Normative Economics
The Bond between Positive and Normative Economics
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实证经济学与规范经济学之间的联系
DOI：
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发表时间：
2018
期刊：
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通讯作者：
D. Hausman
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
D. Hausman
本文阐明了实证经济学与主流规范经济学的关系。如果理性可以由偏好和选择的条件来表征，另外，人在合理的近似程度上是理性的，那么经济学家可以援引理性理论来解释选择。如果人们也像在积极经济学中那样，在很大程度上是自利的，并且消息灵通，那么他们的偏好也将表明他们的幸福感水平。从理性偏好的角度对选择和福利进行建模，从而统一了实证经济学和规范经济学。在用个人选择来解释市场结果、用偏好来解释选择、用偏好来表明幸福的过程中，关注福利的经济学家捍卫了一种规范性理论，该理论依附于他们的实证理论。这种传统的主流规范理论是有问题的，但由于它的统一性和与实证经济学的联系，它也非常强大。
This essay clarifies the relations between positive economics and mainstream normative economics. If rationality can be characterized by conditions on preferences and choices and, in addition, people are, to a reasonable degree of approximation rational, then economists can invoke the theory of rationality to explain choices. If people are also, as in positive economics, largely self-interested and reasonably well-informed, then their preferences will also indicate their level of well-being. Modeling both choice and welfare in terms of rational preferences thus unites positive and normative economics. In explaining market outcomes in terms of individual choices, explaining choices by preferences, and taking preferences to indicate well-being, economists who are concerned with welfare defend a normative theory that piggybacks on their positive theory. This traditional mainstream normative theory is problematic, but because of its unity and its connection to positive economics, it is also very powerful.