POLITICAL AND LEGAL IDEAS OF THE HETMANATE DURING THE NATIONAL LIBERTION WAR

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of the study is to carry out a historical and legal analysis of political and legal ideas of the Hetmanate during the national liberation war, in particular the content of the state concept of B. Khmelnytsky. The methodological basis of the study was a combination of general and special legal methods and techniques of scientific knowledge, in particular the use of the historical method in conjunction with the method of analysis allowed characterizing hetman articles and treaties. The use of the system-structural method in conjunction with the method of analysis helped us to distinguish the characteristic features of the political thought of this period as well as the content of the state concept of B. Khmelnytsky. With the help of a systematic approach, the state concept of B. Khmelnytsky in this period was studied through the prism of the idea of political autonomy, the idea of hereditary monarchical power, and the idea of protecting the Orthodox faith. The comparative legal method in interaction with historical analysis was used in the analysis of scientific literature of national authors on this topic. The method of complex analysis and generalization allowed to formulate the conclusions of the study. The author analysed the state concept of B. Khmelnytsky in this period through the prism of the idea of political autonomy, the idea of heredity of power, and the idea of protecting the Orthodox faith. It is proved that during this period, being in a difficult geopolitical situation, continuous war, unresolved urgent problems, and constant search for potential allies, the Ukrainian political opinion was consistently being formed. Its characteristic features are the ideas of political autonomy in the existing relations of vassality, the idea of hereditary monarchical power as the optimal and most acceptable form of organization of power, and the idea of protecting the Orthodox faith. The author found out that the formation of national political thought during the national liberation war is influenced by Western European political and legal doctrines, views, and ideas, including the concept of Enlightened absolutism, the concept of the social contract, and the idea of the nation state. The author proved the necessity of further research of the historical preconditions and specifics of the influence of Western European ideas on the formation of political and legal ideas of the Hetmanate in the period of the Ruin.