社會學中功能分析的目的論與循環論證問題

本文著眼於功能分析做為一種研究的邏輯形式，就其與因果解釋結合所產生的疑難，來整理社會學中的功能分析在發展過程中所遭遇的困境。同時，也從這個癥結點來掌握此一理論傳統的發展軸線，並檢討各理論家的貢獻與限制。簡言之，不正當目的論問題與循環論證的合理化現狀後果是長期困擾功能分析傳統的核心問題意識，但也如孔恩所謂的典範做為解謎遊戲一般，為了解決不正當目的論與循環論證的問題而檢討功能分析中的有機類比、系統構想、以及對功能概念的不斷重構是功能分析典範內部之重要發展軸線。這是此一傳統中的有志之士理論創造的思想源頭，也因此構成了此一傳統的活力來源，然而，由於這個典範預設了有機類比或是社會的系統性，所以也受限於這樣的觀點，而在無形中帶進了許多相關的設定，以致難以跳脫前述預設所加諸於這個理論傳統的限制。

關鍵字

功能分析；因果解釋；循環論證；目的論；結構；系統

並列摘要

This paper contends that solving the problems of tautology and illegal teleology is essential for the development of functional analysis in sociology. That is, similar to conditions described by Kuhn's paradigm concept, generations of theorists in the tradition of functional analysis have attempted to reconstruct the concepts of function, system, etc., and to elaborate the relationships between functional analysis and causal explanation, or between functional analysis and organic analogy, in order to deal with the problems mentioned above. These efforts are the driving force behind the development of functional analysis, and the source of creativity of so many excellent scholars in this theoretical tradition. However, their endeavors were hindered by their conceptual presuppositions such as system, structure etc.