在社会科学的研究中,长期以来存在着两种相互对立的方法论诉求:普遍性理论规律的建构和完全经验性的描述。在埃尔斯特看来,通过这两种方法论原则处理具体的社会现象之时会遭遇到难以克服的矛盾,甚至陷入虚无主义。据此,他提出了介于两者之间的机制的研究方法。在他看来,尽管机制的研究角度本身也是有局限性的,但是这种建立在方法论个人主义之上的机制仍然是在社会科学中可以取代理论的基本概念。 In the study of social science, there are two opposing methodological arguments for a long time: the construction of universality theory and law and the completely empirical description. In Elster’s opinion, when dealing with specific social phenomena through these two methodological principles, he encountered insurmountable contradictions and even nihilism. Accordingly, he put forward a research method of the mechanism between the two. In his view, although the mechanism’s research perspective is itself limited, the mechanism based on methodological individualism is still the basic concept that can replace theory in the social sciences.