On the basis of relevant world literature analyzed, the author characterizes ideological attitudes of researchers of informal economy (within which two blocks are distinguished: shadow economy and domestic one). As is demonstrated in the article, orthodox liberals regard the "informals" as agents of the "invisible hand" of the market; to the mind of socially oriented liberals, the "informals" are indicators of the balance of economic and social demands; conservatives qualify the "shadowers" as breakers of social conventions; finally, in the eyes of socialist theoreticians, the said elements are enemies of society regulation on planned lines.