POLITICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF NUCLEAR DETERRENCE

The article provides a political and philosophical understanding of the doctrine of nuclear deterrence as a concept that arose in the context of global rivalry and transformed in the process of developing international relations. The purpose of the study is to identify the axiological, normative and strategic foundations underlying the idea of preventing aggression by demonstrating a nuclear threat. The analysis covers the key stages of the doctrine formation, reveals its moral and political contradictions, and reflects the transformation of perception in the context of asymmetric risks and weakening trust between states. Special attention is paid to the relationship between deterrence as a rational mechanism and as a symbolic form of political communication embedded in the culture of security. The work uses historical and constructivist approaches that make it possible to trace the evolution of military strategies and determine the social foundations of doctrine formation. Modern challenges are considered: the proliferation of nuclear technologies, the emergence of new threats to global security, and a change in the balance of power. The importance of international cooperation, humanitarian and legal aspects of ensuring stability is emphasized. It is concluded that the concept of nuclear deterrence is losing its universality as an instrument of global order and requires rethinking in new philosophical and humanitarian coordinates. It is argued that an effective security system of the 21st century is impossible without the development of new forms of global interaction and collective responsibility.