classical and neoclassical theories

Introduction. This article investigates stages of development of classical and neoclassical concepts of spatial economics. Theoretical analysis. The evolution of classical and neoclassical theories of the international division of labor and world trade reflected the objective historical conditions and tendencies: the global hegemony of Great Britain in the 19th century, the consequences of the Great Depression of 1929–1933, the global hegemony of the United States after World War II. The ignoring of dynamic changes of economy in classical and neoclassical theories of intercountry labor division is the investigations of their initial theoretical and methodological premises: models of the perfect competition, decreasing or constant return from scale, domination of formal and mathematical logic, lack of mobility of factors of production. Results. Smith, Ricardo, Heckscher – Olin, and Samuelson’s theories were serious and worthy attempts of a research of distribution of different types of economic activity in space. These theories are valuable products of evolution of an economic thought for studying in the context of history of development of the world economy.