Political and Ontological Aspects of the Civilizational Choice

Abstract

The article explores the essential features of the concept of "civilizational choice" and highlights its ontological criteria in the political sphere. This problem is relevant as civilizational differences cause the most fundamental and uncompromising political conflicts of our time. Moreover, the civilizational choice affects the entirety of its subject's political life. However, this concept has not yet been developed at the proper theoretical level. Solving the outlined problem will obviously contribute to the better development of the Ukrainian state. The definition of civilization as both a qualitative criterion – a concrete and historical interpretation of being-as-ought – and a social group that is structured around that criterion simultaneously was used. The ontological, alternatives and rational, alternative, species of choice were separated. With the help of the personalist and structural-functionalist approach, it was proven that civilizational choice is an ontological and alternative less type of choice. Having accepted certain values, individuals live in accordance with them, they use them as a key ontological model and reference point. In turn, the axiological features of life lead to correction, evolutionary changes not only in social but also in purely political institutions. The objectification of civilizational values in the institutions marks the beginning of a state's civilizational choice. During it, the change of institutions leads to the change of institutes. The nature of changes depends on the nature of civilizational values that are objectified within the institutions. Ukraine in 2013-2014 was used as a practical material for testing this conceptual approach. It was proven that both the civilizational choice of persons in Ukraine and the civilizational choice of Ukraine indeed took place. The analysis of Ukraine's civilizational choice's specifics has the greatest potential for further research, as the issue of how Ukrainian state institutions and civilizational values ought to be brought into line with Ukraine's civilizational choice has not yet been resolved.