1991 年諾貝爾經濟學獎得主羅納德．寇斯（Ronald H. Coase）對 芝大法學院和法律經濟分析領域影響深遠。寇斯在維吉尼亞大學任 教期間的重要論文「the Problem of Social Cost」是「交易成本」概念 的革命之作，奠定了以經濟學理論和方法研究法律問題和現象的方 向。至芝大法學院任教後，寇斯長年擔任重要期刊Journal of Law and Economics 的主編，對法律經濟分析領域的貢獻難以計數。寇斯終其 一生努力將經濟學轉化為與真實世界能夠徹底連結起來的「真正社會 科學」。寇斯的另一個重要貢獻是以經濟學分析「思想觀念市場」，並 挑戰美國聯邦最高法院見解，將言論自由的保護範圍拓展至「商業言 論」，從而引發後代學者持續討論。晚年的寇斯談到中國的經濟發展 時，仍然一再強調自由的思想觀念市場，否則長期下來不僅會造成科 技創新乏力，也影響商品和服務市場的健全發展。思想觀念市場的敵 人，除了政府干預外，還有人們普遍認為存在所謂顛撲不破的唯一真 理這種信念和思考習慣，寇斯提醒我們，認識到世界上沒有絕對真 理存在，才能維繫自由的思想觀念市場。寇斯的自由思想觀念市場理 念，對任何憲政民主制度的擁護者來說都是永恆的課題。

Ronald Coase is the most influential scholar in the history of the University of Chicago Law School and the field of economic analysis of law. Coase’s groundbreaking paper “the Problem of Social Cost” in 1960 offered insights about the revolutionary concept of transaction cost and laid the foundation for the economic analysis of law. Coase contributed a great deal in transforming economics into a genuine social science as he made his every effort to connect economics with the real world. His scholarship fundamentally changed the way lawyers approach issues of when and how government should intervene in the market. Another intellectual impact made by Coase is his economic analysis on the marketplace of ideas, which challenged the position held by the Supreme Court of the United States and this extended the protection of freedom of speech to “commercial speech” and also inspired consequent academic discourses for several generations of scholars. Late in his life Coase continued to emphasize “the free marketplace of ideas” in his last book How China Became Capitalist. Arguing in the book for the central role of free marketplace of ideas in driving technological innovations and the sound development of the market of goods services. Coase reminded us of the importance of recognizing the fact that there is no absolute truth on the earth and the need for keeping a free marketplace of ideas. His enduring legacy on the free marketplace of ideas shall be the long-standing concern for anyone who believes in constitutionalism.