Abstract
<jats:p>Competition theories occupy a central place in economic science and evolve as economic relations develop. Competition theories have become an independent field of economic research. They also form the theoretical basis for a number of concepts in marketing, management, and strategic management. As the external environment becomes more complex, new factors, forms, and instruments of competition emerge, and its nature and levels change. The importance of conducting a retrospective analysis of the development of competition theory is determined by society's need to understand the role of competition in modern conditions and the processes associated with the behavior of economic entities in the marketplace. The purpose of this article is to examine the evolution of scientific ideas about the nature and driving forces of competition and to demonstrate it as a natural process closely linked to the development of economic systems.</jats:p>