The influence of the ideology of the Enlightenment on the political and legal culture of the national elite of the Ukrainian Cossack state (second half of the XVII-XVIII-th century) and its significance for Ukrainian state-building processes

The period known as the Enlightenment, which spanned the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, had a significant impact on the political culture of the Cossack officers (starshyna) in Ukraine. This era was characterised by the dissemination of ideas of rationalism, secularisation, and social progress, which found expression in the worldview and activities of the Ukrainian elite. The authors observes that starshyna, as an educated stratum of society, actively perceived new philosophical and political trends in Europe. The ideas of rationalism and secularisation penetrated Ukrainian society, contributing to the formation of a new approach to governance and the state system. In particular, the role of religion in public life was redefined, and attention to secular aspects of governance increased. The authors also emphasises that in the eighteenth century, Ukraine witnessed the development of education and science, which was an important factor in the spread of Enlightenment ideas. The Hetmanate supported educational institutions that taught modern sciences and philosophy. This contributed to the formation of a new generation of starshyna who were aware of European achievements and sought to implement them. The influence of Enlightenment ideas on the starshyna during the late 17th and 18th centuries is evident in their contemplation of state system reform. This period saw the initiation of projects designed to enhance governance system efficiency and the rights and liberties of citizens. These initiatives signalled the Ukrainian elite’s aspiration to modernise the state per European standards. The present article aims to analyse the impact of the European legal traditions of the Enlightenment on the processes of formation of the political and legal culture of starshyna in the second half of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The result of the study indicates that the codification processes in the Hetmanate were influenced by two main factors. Firstly, there were internal needs to streamline the legal system, and secondly, external factors were in play, in particular, European legal models. The authors emphasises that the main legal documents of the Hetmanate of the eighteenth century, such as the Constitution of P. Orlyk of 1710 and the Rights of the Little Russian People of 1743, reflected the desire of the Ukrainian elite to adapt European legal norms to local conditions. The conclusions drawn by the researcher assert that the codification of law in the Hetmanate constituted a component of a more extensive process of Europeanisation of legal systems in Eastern Europe, wherein local legal traditions were amalgamated with European norms and principles, and European ideas of the Enlightenment exerted a profound influence on the formation and development of the political and legal culture of the Hetmanate in the eighteenth century.