English Historical School and Methodological Controversy

正是W.J.阿什利从历史学派的立场概括了《方法论》。他总结的要点如下：首先，引起争论的原因是两个阵营的经济学家有不同的能力和利益。一个人自然会觉得他所面临的任务是所有任务中最紧迫和最有益的。第二，以一种方法取代另一种方法的计划最终失败了。历史经济学家中的极端分子曾希望用历史方法取代抽象的、演绎的方法。我们需要概括历史事实，才能得到经济理论的真实前提。然后我们可以继续演绎推理。但他们的坚持也受到了承认经济理论价值的历史经济学家和理论经济学家的批评。第三，这场争论影响了正统经济学家的观念。也就是说，正统经济学家开始认同学说的相对性、社会现象的统一性和经济行为的多元性等历史经济学家的观点。第四，这场争论强化了德国的理论经济学和当时被各国低估的英国的历史经济学。第五，历史经济学家在争论中找到了自己的主题。他们正在调查德国和英国的经济史。正是在这一点上，艾希礼在重述《方法论》时给予了重视。

It was W.J. Ashley that recapitulated the Methodenstreit from the standpoint of historical school. The essentials of his recapitulation were the following.First, the controversy was caused because the economists in both camps had different aptitudes and interests. It is natural that a person should feel that the task towards which he is drawn is the most urgent and beneficent of all tasks.Second, the plan trying to replace one method with the other was eventually unsuccessful. The extremists in historical economists had hoped that they would substitute historical method for abstract, deductive method. We need to generalize the historical facts in order to get real premises of economic theory. And then we may proceed to deductive inference. But their insistence was criticized even by historical economists admitting the merit of economic theory as well as by theoretic economists.Third, the controversy, however, influenced conceptions of orthodox economists. That is, the orthodox economists became to share such viewpoints of historical economists as the relativity of doctrine, the unity of social phenomena and the plurality of economic action.Fourth, the argument enhanced the theoretical economics in Germany and the historical economics in Britain, which were underrated in each country up to that time.Fifth, historical economists found out their own subject through the controversy. They were investigating economic history both in Germany and Britain. It was on this point that Ashley gave importance in his recapitulation of the Methodenstreit.