On Social Institution

The institution is a uniquely human social phenomenon, is refers to the social institution. Humans’cognition and thinking about the institution has a long history, has experienced several stages:germination, formation and development. The earliest western thought of institution can be traced back to Plato in ancient Greece period, he is the first thinker of discussing institution phenomenon and essence, and proposed the theory of the polis justice.Since western modern times, the political thinking method has turned significantly which no longer to understand the institution and country with the moralism and creationism, Aristotle tried to separate political (institution) theory from ethics, but it’s not complete. Since Machiavelli, western country (institution) theory gradually moved towards a vastly different theory from theories of moral country and theocracy country——modern country (institution) theory. Modern country (institution) theory has three main theoretical foundations:rationalism, natural law theory and contract theory. In other words, rationalism, natural law theory and contract theory were the theory support of west modern institution theory, and, the rationalism penetrated between natural law theory and contract theory as a red line. Almost all thinkers (Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, and so on) had explained their political ideology, country theory and institution theory with these three theories. Hegel constructed his philosophy of Rights on the foundation of speculative reason even if Hegel opposed the social contract theory. Marx constructed the institution theory of historical materialism based on the Historical Materialism, therefore, transcended the western traditional institution theory especially Hegel’s philosophy of right about speculative reason. This is an epoch-making change on the institution thought.The theme of institution covers all aspects of social life; the analysis about institution involves many disciplines, such as politics, economy, law, management, culture and philosophy, and so on. The understandings about institution were different in different areas and disciplines; there exists obvious differences on the research objection, research method, and research paradigm and path dependency. In summary, there are three kinds of paradigms or paths of institutional research:Num1. The positive-science paradigm of institution explanation, it’s taking institution as scientific objection and objective facts to research, or epistemology paradigm, epistemology position of institution research. Num2. The cultural paradigm of institution explanation, it understands the institution from the cultural (civilization) horizon, and takes the institution related with culture (civilization), looks the institution as a kind of culture (civilization). Num3. The philosophy-reflection paradigm of institution explanation, it understands and grasps institution from the perspective of philosophy, surveys the institution itself view of the transcendentalist of philosophy but not constrained by a variety of specific institution, it is to answer "the original question" of the institution, to research basic problems and essential problems exist in institution phenomena.From the point of philosophical ontology, institution is the low of people’s existence which is derived from animals’Jungle Principle, but it has an essential distinction with Jungle Principle. Social institution is the product of humans’ activities of practice-history, is the product of social production modes. The institution is an n institution of human, behind the institution, we can see the essence of human, therefore, the essence of institution is a reflection of the essence of human. Marx gave highly generalization and summary about the institution from the relation between the institution and humans’inter relation, his point is that the institution was a kind of social special form of production modes, was humans’productions of interaction, these functions and activities of the institution (country), and so on, was humans’social existence and active modes. In a word, the institution was social existence modes of human-beings. The institution arose according with humans’practical activities, and developed according with humans’ practical activities, the transition of the institution was synchronized with the transition of society, and the development process of the institution was the process of humans’ liberation.If what the institution ontology discusses was refer to the foundation, essence, premises of the institution, what it wants to answer was some premises questions:why the institution had existed and existed for whom? These questions which the institution axiology wants to solve were what is and how to do about the institution itself. From the philosophical viewpoint, the institution is the cardinal principles and organic form by which to divide right (authority) and duty (responsibility) between country (statement) and individual. Based on this understanding towards the institution, there were two different value orientations to solve the institution design:institutional holism and institutional individualism, there were two different thought modes about the understanding of institutional functions:positive thought and negative thought. From the point of the institution ought to being, the rational divide between right and responsibility is the value principle of the institution, the dialectical uniting between justice and efficiency is the value target of the institution.