本文從Hutchison典Machlup對於消費者理論史的不同內部史觀出發，探討在消費者理論演進過程中的經濟學方法論意涵，並將焦點放在1930年代消費者理論中的實證主義運動。我們發現，雖然序數效用/無異分析研究綱領與顯示性偏好理論的奠基者都強調效用不可測量性是推動消費者理論改變的驅動力，而他們的方法論目標在於將基本假設建立在可觀察的經驗事實之上，但是他們並無法完成此一目標。雖然他們試圖去除經濟理論中所有具有主觀性與心理性的成分，但是在目前消費者理論的基本假設體系中，訴諸內省仍然是重要的說服手段。消費者理論中失落的實證主義革命可能反映出經濟學研究所受到的嚴重限制，也反映出過度重視嚴謹數理形式而輕忽理論經驗意涵的形式主義陰影。

Following Hutchison's and Machlup's opposite views on the internal history of consumer theory, this paper tries to draw methodological lessons from the history of consumer theory by focusing on the positivism movement in the 1930s. We find that both the founders of ordinal utility/indifference analysis research program and revealed preference theory emphasize that the major driving force for the changes in consumer theory is the immeasurability of utility. They claimed that their methodological objective was to reconstruct the basic assumptions of consumer theory on the basis of observable facts. However, their research programs did not complete this mission. Although they attempted to eliminate all the subjective and psychological elements in economics, introspection still played an important role in modern consumer theory's basic consumptions. The lost positivism revolution in consumer theory may reflect the serious limitation faced by economic research and reveal the shadow of formalism that overemphasizes rigor mathematical format and neglects the empirical contents of theories.