The Place of the Theory of Uneven and Combined Development in Modern International Relations Science

The article explores the theory of uneven and combined development (TUCD) and its place in modern international relations science. The evolution of TUCD is analyzed from L.D. Trotsky’s first systematic conceptualization to contemporary interpretations by J. Rosenberg and D. Blagden, who propose a synthesis of TUCD with elements of the neorealist paradigm. Particular attention is paid to the theoretical and methodological foundations of the concept and its analytical potential in explaining international processes. The study reveals that attempts by contemporary neoMarxists to position TUCD as an alternative to dominant theoretical paradigms through the synthesis of “competing” approaches go beyond a simple search for a universal explanatory model and represent a phenomenon of “epistemic intervention”. This constitutes an uncharacteristic trajectory of theoretical development for the discipline, overcoming the prevailing “scientific tribalism”.