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 interna-tional relations science. The evolution of TUCD is analyzed from L.D. Trotsky’s first systematic conceptualiza-tion 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 founda-tions of the concept and its analytical potential in explaining international processes. The study reveals that at-tempts by contemporary neo-Marxists 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 theo-retical development for the discipline, overcoming the prevailing “scientific tribalism”.