Authentic values of Ukrainians in the context of protection national interests of the nation-state.

Abstract

The article is the result of a correlation analysis of the declared national interests of the nation-state, the national values of Ukrainians and the role of authentic values in the context of the formation of collective meanings of the Ukrainian people and the policy of protecting the national interests of Ukraine.

The conclusions expressed by the author are based on the analytical materials of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine by IF Kuras, the current legislation. It is determined that the prospect of consolidation of Ukrainian society in times of serious geopolitical and socio-economic challenges should be based on the synthesis of authentic values of Ukrainians and current perspectives.

It is determined that among the number of existing approaches to understanding the category «national interests», its essence is reduced to three components: protection of territorial integrity; security of life for all citizens; the welfare of the population. Identifying national interests with national values is incorrect. National values can only form the basis of a policy to protect the national interests of the state. Political practice demonstrates the sensitivity of society to authentic values that form the basis of national ones. Unlike national interests, which can be determined by many factors of geopolitical, socio-economic, cultural and historical character, etc., authentic values represent a stable and unchanging core of national character. National interests, which are qualitatively based on the authentic values of Ukrainians, have the potential to become a collective sense capable of equally influencing and mobilizing all members of society.