提 要：黄宗智的“过密化”理论自其《长江三角洲小农家庭与乡村发展》于20世纪90年代初出版之后一直在国内外史学界影响广泛，它认为明清以来的人口增长导致了长江三角洲植棉等经济行业的单位工作日劳动报酬的递减。鉴于史学界至今未有人从该书内部详细分析这一理论的实际论证过程，本文以此为切入点，指出它存在：一，植棉经济发韧于明代等诸多事实判定疏误或不当之处；二，抽样数据的数量严重不足等统计数据问题；三，植棉等经济行业的单位工作日劳动报酬因其单位产出价格的巨幅变动而无法简单比较等逻辑分析方面的问题。据此，本文认为该书没能有效证明过密化理论符合明清时期长江三角洲的历史发展事实。

关键词：过密化理论 黄宗智 明清时期 长江三角洲 人口增长

Title: Problems with the Identification of Historical Facts, Logic Analysis, and Pattern Construction in Philip Huang’s Involution Theory: With the Peasant Family and Rural Development in the Yangtze Delta, 1350-1988as the Focus

Author:Su Xinhong, Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of History and Culture, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130024, China

Abstract：Since the publication ofThe Peasant Family and Rural Development in the Yangtze Delta, 1350-1988in 1990s, Philip Huang’s involution theory has been enjoying its broad academic influence all over the world. This theory maintains that population increase in the Yangtze Delta led to serious decrease of average working day income during the Ming and Qing dynasties.Such a theory has been commonly employed to explain the general economical trends of late imperial China, while, there has been a lack of detailed re-examination of the factual ground, logic, and pattern construction structure behind this theory. This article argues that, under a close examination, Philip Huang’s this theory, first of all, contains problematical judgment of historical facts, such as the starting point of cotton production in China; secondly, insufficiency of statistic data, especially about the population; thirdly, inefficacy of deductive analysis, particularly in dealing with the productivity and prices of cotton, silk, and rice. In conclusion, Philip Huang failed to prove effective and sufficient supports to his involution theory.

Key words: involution theory Philip Huang Ming and Qing Dynasties the Yangtze Delta population increase