Axiology of Legal Culture and the Boundaries of Legal Choice

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of legal culture as an important aspect of the life of society and the state. The role of legal culture in the formation of legal reality is considered, approaches to the definition and composition of legal culture are analyzed. Special attention is paid to rational legal choice as a component of legal culture. The purpose of the study is to identify the cause-and-effect relationships between the formation of legal culture and the influence of values on legal reality.Methodology and materials. The research is based on an analysis of philosophical, sociological and legal theories, including approaches to culture and law as interrelated categories. The main methodological approach is theoretical and legal interdisciplinary analysis and invariant modeling.Results. The paper identifies key theoretical components of legal culture, such as legal mentality, legal consciousness and legal activity. Fundamental role of rational legal choice, which forms the legal reality, is considered. Socio-cultural and eidetic values influencing legal culture are analyzed.Conclusion. Assessing these values in the context of historical and social context allows for a deeper understanding of the impact on legal consciousness. The study highlights the importance of legal culture for the formation of legal thinking and legal decision-making. The practical significance of the research lies in the need to consider legal culture when developing legal norms and institutional changes.