Abstract: Darwinism has had a profound impact on economic theory. By introducing the theory of biological evolution in economics, the interpretation and analysis of economic phenomena have become common practice among economic theorists and sociologists in different periods. Philosophical debates about Darwinian evolution in the history of economic theory are combed out. Whether the theoretical explanation was analog to evolution of life in economics and natural selection is reasonable is considered. The purpose is to explain pending epistemology and even methodological issues by exploring the units of evolutionary selection in economics.

Key words: Darwinism, emergence, reduction, unit of selection

摘要： 达尔文主义对经济学理论产生了深刻的影响。在经济学中引入生物进化论的观点，解释和分析经济现象，成为不同时期经济理论学家以及社会学家们的通常做法。梳理经济学理论发展史上围绕达尔文进化论而产生的一系列哲学争论，思考经济学中的类比生命进化以及自然选择的理论说明是否合理，探讨经济学中进化选择的单元，为悬而未决的认识论乃至方法论问题寻求解答。

关键词: 达尔文主义, 涌现, 还原, 选择单元