韋伯倫1904年的著作《企業理論》對於現代個體理論和總體理論都有重要的研究價值。該書對於許多經濟現象做出精闢的分析，例如廠商規模、企業競爭、景氣循環和長期蕭條等，然而卻未獲得經濟學界的重視。本文試圖對於《企業理論》做出適當的現代詮釋，並且檢討 Blaug 用「變數操作性」作為區別凱因斯的《一般理論》和之前的總體經濟理論的標準是否可以解釋《企業理論》不受重視的原因。

本文將該書的經濟理論歸納整理為生產理論、競爭理論、資本理論、循環理論與蕭條理論，並且運用現代的經濟學術語詳細說明。而後本文依序介紹 Percy Bridgman 的操作主義與 Paul Samuelson 的操作主義，而後建立廣義操作主義的標準。透過應用該標準檢討《企業理論》中的變數操作性，本文發現 Blaug（1997）用「變數操作性」作為區別《一般理論》和之前的總體經濟理論的標準對《企業理論》的循環和蕭條理論是成立的，但是對於《企業理論》的資本理論、生產理論須再作斟酌。《企業理論》的蕭條理論未受重視的原因很有可能是變數缺乏操作性，因此後續研究者無法蒐集資料，設法證實理論和現象相符，以及精煉理論。本文認為無法將變數缺乏操作性作為解釋《企業理論》中的資本理論和生產理論不受重視的原因。

Historian and methodologist of economics Mark Blaug has pointed out that the existence of operational variables might be a reason for economists to accept the Keynesian macroeconomic theory and to reject Thorstein Veblen’s theory, which does not include variables as such, as a mainstream. In order to examine Blaug’s suggested criterion for the success of an economic theory, we study Veblen’s illuminating but neglected book The Theory of Business Enterprise. Different definitions of the term ‘operational’ are developed according to various versions of operationalism of Percy Bridgman and Paul Samuelson. We find operational variables in Veblen’s business cycles and depression theory but not in his capital and production theory. We conclude that Blaug’s assertion cannot fully explain the emergence of successful theories in the history of economics.

第一章 前言................................................1
1.1 研究動機.............................................1
1.2 文獻回顧.............................................6
第二章 簡介《企業理論》...................................11
2.1 《企業理論》大意....................................11
2.2 生產理論............................................15
2.3 企業競爭理論........................................20
2.4 商業資本理論........................................23
2.4.1 資本定義........................................23
2.4.2 借貸信用........................................23
2.4.3 信用的成本和效益................................24
2.4.4 資金流向簡圖....................................25
2.4.5 資本定價........................................27
2.5 循環理論............................................31
2.6 蕭條理論............................................34
2.7 小結................................................39
第三章 操作主義和操作性...................................41
3.1 科學哲學的操作主義..................................41
3.2 經濟學的操作主義....................................43
3.2.1 Samuelson 的操作主義傾向........................43
3.2.2 Samuelson 移除效用抽象概念的努力................44
3.2.3 Samuelson 的操作主義與科學哲學的操作主義的比較..45
3.3 《企業理論》的操作性................................47
3.3.1 生產理論........................................48
3.3.2 商業資本........................................51
3.3.3 有效需求........................................53
3.4 小結................................................55
第四章 結語...............................................56
參考文獻..................................................59

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