The current problem of political economy in the broad sense of the word is the development of a system of economic categories of each mode of production. The insufficient development of the economic theory of pre-capitalist formations is the main reason for numerous discussions on various issues of the history of antiquity and the Middle Ages. A clear example of this is the recurrent debate about the “Asian mode of production” the hypothesis formulated by K. Marx and F. Engels in the early 50-ies of the last century and received justification and development in the "Economic Manuscripts of 1857-1859", "To the Critique of Political Economy", "Capital", "Anti-Dhring" and other works Attempts to creatively master the heritage of the founders of Marxism on this issue were the subject of a lively exchange of views in 1925-1931. and since 1964. Currently .