批判实在论视域的新经济地理学——对地理学批判实在论的超越

新经济地理学一向被认为是实证主义的,荷兰经济哲学家证明新经济地理学与实在论哲学兼容,地理学家塞耶依据地理学批判实在论对新经济地理学进行了再批判。以上述争议为基础,本文对塞耶地理学批判实在论范畴提出质疑,认为地理学批判实在论偏离了其哲学先驱巴斯卡的批判实在论。以巴斯卡批判实在论为依据,新经济地理学从聚集生成机制角度揭示了真实的聚集规律,体现出批判实在论特征。

NEW ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY IN THE VIEW OF CRITICAL REALISM: TRANSCENDING THE CRITICAL REALISM OF GEOGRAPHY

This paper inquires the category of the critical realism originated by Sayer. It argues that the critical realism of geography's departs from the critical realism initiated by Bhaskar, a progenitor of the critical realism of geography's. Firstly, discrepancy exists in the nature of object between the two types of critical realism. Geographers insist on that objects have their nature and then their causal power, whereas Bhaskar thinks that the nature of things is generated by their generating mechanism. Secondly, palpable difference exists in the sense of causal power. Causal power is no more than a waiting static power for Sayer, whereas causal power is a sort of dynamic generating mechanism for Bhaskar. Thirdly, the discovering process of laws sets two types of critical realism apart. The method Sayer using for discovering laws is causal power's activation, whereas the approach Bhaskar holding is paying attention to the trend of the generating process of things. To sum up, the critical realism of Bhaskar's emphasizing things' exist as processes so that it represents the world view of generation, while the critical realism of geography's focuses on things as existences so that it reflects the world outlook of constitution. By reference of the critical realism of Bhaskar's, the new economic geography Krugman initiated uncovers the real generating mechanism of agglomeration. Therefore, it represents the critical realism. Firstly, Krugman thinks of the nature of agglomeration as a generating process rather than the pre-existing. Secondly, the core of agglomeration theory stays on the generating mechanism of agglomeration, a positive regeneration. Thirdly, the mechanism of agglomeration has characteristics of law's in reality instead of regularity coming from experiment observation. Utilizing the constant functional process of generating mechanism to explore the law of agglomeration is really advanced for the new economic geography in spite of its unrealistic assumption and mathematic language unwelcomed for some researchers, and is worthwhile to be attached importance to and applied into social science research.