Abstract：This paper inquires the category of the critical realism originated by Sayer. It argues that the critical realism of geography's departs from the critical realism initiated by Bhaskar, a progenitor of the critical realism of geography's. Firstly, discrepancy exists in the nature of object between the two types of critical realism. Geographers insist on that objects have their nature and then their causal power, whereas Bhaskar thinks that the nature of things is generated by their generating mechanism. Secondly, palpable difference exists in the sense of causal power. Causal power is no more than a waiting static power for Sayer, whereas causal power is a sort of dynamic generating mechanism for Bhaskar. Thirdly, the discovering process of laws sets two types of critical realism apart. The method Sayer using for discovering laws is causal power's activation, whereas the approach Bhaskar holding is paying attention to the trend of the generating process of things. To sum up, the critical realism of Bhaskar's emphasizing things' exist as processes so that it represents the world view of generation, while the critical realism of geography's focuses on things as existences so that it reflects the world outlook of constitution. By reference of the critical realism of Bhaskar's, the new economic geography Krugman initiated uncovers the real generating mechanism of agglomeration. Therefore, it represents the critical realism. Firstly, Krugman thinks of the nature of agglomeration as a generating process rather than the pre-existing. Secondly, the core of agglomeration theory stays on the generating mechanism of agglomeration, a positive regeneration. Thirdly, the mechanism of agglomeration has characteristics of law's in reality instead of regularity coming from experiment observation. Utilizing the constant functional process of generating mechanism to explore the law of agglomeration is really advanced for the new economic geography in spite of its unrealistic assumption and mathematic language unwelcomed for some researchers, and is worthwhile to be attached importance to and applied into social science research.
鲍伶俐, 桂徽. 批判实在论视域的新经济地理学——对地理学批判实在论的超越[J]. 人文地理, 2010, 25(5): 11-15,52.
BAO Ling-Li, GUI Hui. NEW ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY IN THE VIEW OF CRITICAL REALISM: TRANSCENDING THE CRITICAL REALISM OF GEOGRAPHY. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, 2010, 25(5): 11-15,52.
