THE GENESIS OF THE PARADIGM OF DEMOCRACY IN THE UKRAINIAN STATE FORMATION

Abstract

The article analyzes the historical prerequisites and evolution of the formation of democracy in the political system of Ukraine. According to historical sources, throughout their history, Ukrainians fought for the right to freedom, equality and independence. The author claims that at the current stage, Ukrainian society is undergoing transformational processes regarding democratization and liberalization in all social spheres. The key paradigm of the research involves clarifying the essential aspects of the transformation of the concept of «democracy» in the process of the historical continuity of the Ukrainian ethnos. The conceptual foundations of the concept of democracy are determined not only content-wise, but also structurally, through a system of basic elements and signs. For this, the ideas of the classics of political thought, Ukrainian thinkers who argued their understanding of democracy in its various guises, are reflected. Relying on comparative and systematic methods of research, the work highlights the deformations of the processes of state formation in modern Ukraine caused by the lack of democracy. Building a European-style state a priori requires relying on democratic values of freedom, pluralism, transparency, and free competition. The formation of a democratic regime became the basis of the entire modern European civilized society. Its signs and principles were adopted as norms, a model for state formation and social life. Today, democracy in Ukraine is being tested by war. Based on this, the work emphasizes that Ukrainians are fighting a self-sacrificing struggle against the Kremlin’s expansion not only for the restoration of the territorial integrity of the state, but also for the preservation of democratic values. It is democracy that is the social basis for the formation of an open and legitimate political regime that ensures the rule of law and corresponds to the spirit of the times. The author identifies the main problems and prospects for the development of democratic governance in the turbulent conditions of Ukrainian state formation.