Commentary: The Theory Of Unequal Development Of Samir Amin

The development of Third World developing countries and regions has become tobe a major development issue that is of common concern for today’s internationalcommunity. In this regard, many scholars who have international academic influencehave made an in-depth thinking, that greatly promoted the people to fully understandthe truth of the problems of underdevelopment of the Third World countries andregions. Among them, the theory of the unequal development of Samir Amin, whichtakes the problems of underdevelopment in Africa as the object of study, through adeep and systematic exploration of its roots、 substance and the way towardmodernization, many unique theoretical insights have been put forward. It can be saidthat this theory not only provides a very important theoretical resources to rich,improve and develop the Dependency Theory objectively, but also becomes animportant element of the Marxist theory of the world system. This article includesthree parts:The first part, to discuss the overview of academic thinking of Samir Amin’s(hereinafter referred to as "Amin"), and in which the position and basic situation ofthe theory of unequal development.The second part, to discuss Amin in the modern world-system analysis perspective,how to reveal the problems of underdevelopment of developing countries and regionsas the representative of Africa. In his view, the polarization between the rich and poorcountries is not purely the inequitable problem of distribution of wealth, but thedevelopment of inequality between countries. This is mainly attributed to theaccumulation of the world-scale of the modern capitalist, that is residual value istransferred continuously from the developing countries (periphery) to the LeastDeveloped Countries (center), that resulting in the loss of developing capital indeveloping countries and regions, unable to take the path of independent development.On this basis, through thorough investigating the problems of underdevelopment ofAfrican countries in the Western modernization process, the world trading system andthe monetary system and the issue of unequal development of the world, the worldsystem of capitalist and the dependent development of the Third World, the hegemony of capitalism and the problem of economic globalization, reveals the basiccontent of the theory of the unequal development. Amin believes that, as a matter offact, the relationship between the center-periphery in the modern world system isunequal relations of which invade and have been hacked, rule and be ruled."underdeveloped" of Peripheral is a product of the global expansion of capitalism.Moreover, the neo-imperial policies of the modern world-system suppressed thecountries and regions of the Third World long and made it can not get equaldevelopment opportunities, thus fundamentally destroyed the objective conditions oftheir implementation of the modernization process. It can be said that unequaldevelopment is the real source that cause Third World countries and regionslong-term in the state of the "underdeveloped" or "not development". In Amin’s view,the development of the periphery, if not from the modern world system and movetowards socialism, they will never shake off their dependent status, let alone trulyindependent. In other words, only to build a global socialism, which will help thecountries and regions of Third World to seek equitable development and to achievetheir own liberation.The third part, to analyze the characteristics, value and limitations of the theory ofthe unequal development of Amin.This article is to analyze the problems of underdevelopment as the center,summarized the theory of unequal development systematically. Highlights the statusand significance of the theory of unequal development in the Amin’s theory. Andfrom the philosophical level to grasp the root、the essence and its way out that causesthe unequal development, to reveal the basic content of Amin’s theory of unequaldevelopment. On this basis, the use of materialist dialectics of Marxism, from theacademic value of the theory and methodological significance aspects, further analyzeand discuss the basic characteristics and the inherent difficulties of the theory ofunequal development, revealing the academic value and significance of the theory.