Economic Man Hypothesis And Its Revelation On China's Administration Reform

Economic Man Hypothesis is the elementary hypothesis about human race in West Economics theories. It was a common product of the politic, economy, social environment and culture in specific historical period, not a subjective idea, but an objective necessity. During the social history, Economic Man Hypothesis, while contending with other theories, had made a successive amendment, adjustment and improvement, broadened its range of usage. As a result, it put a tremendous influence on other subjects such as sociology, politics and public administration, etc. During the latter decades of last century, new public management reform, which had overwhelmed the world, was in large scale affected by Economic Man Hypothesis. The cause of failure of government, according to Economic Man Hypothesis, had lain in that the officials were also economic man, and the salary, position, subsidy income, power, institutional outcome and other factors were all original variables and in direct proportion with the officials utility function. The experiments and lessons of the introduction of Economic Man Hypothesis in the public administration reform in western countries have well provided us with obverse and reverse perspectives. A key problem is that capitalism has mistaken the historical stage of Economic Man Hypothesis into eternality, and substituted the aim with means, and exaggerated the historical rationality into universality. We must be aware that Economic Man Hypothesis has practical significance in our government reform. Even in the state—planned economic system, economic man are commonly existed, only in unusual pattern. As for human's all-side and free development, material wealth is one of indispensable factors and market economy is the inevitable journey. So it is imperative for China's government reform to abide by the objectives and make a proper use of Economic Man Hypothesis, which means that ,on one hand, we should bring about a good conditions for economic man to carry out his utility function lawfully and reasonably, on other hand, we should make advantage of socialism to keep economic man well away from the possibility of alienation.