Marshall’s economic organon: the One in the Many and the Many in the One
论证马歇尔始终使用“工具”这一初步框架来整合经济学方法,强调其将经济学视为追溯人类理性历史的引擎,并运用辩证原则调和不同范式,对理解马歇尔的经济学思想和方法论有重要参考价值。
Abstract Marshall’s fragmented and incomplete account of his methodological perspectives has been a source of controversy. This paper argues that Marshall consistently employed a preliminary framework for economic methods, with the concept of the ‘organon’. This framework aligns with his view of economics as an engine for tracing the ‘reasoned history of man’, highlighting his integrative approach to economic inquiry. Marshall’s economic organon incorporated various constructive methods, such as analogical reasoning, organic evolution and historical analysis, reflecting the progress of the natural and social sciences. To reconcile divergent paradigms, Marshall resorted to the dialectical motto of ‘the One in the Many, the Many in the One’ as both a guiding principle and a strategic compromise. Furthermore, this paper asserts that Marshall’s economic organon extends beyond methodological perspectives to practical dimensions, as is in his academic activities and pedagogical practices.