Довіра та гетерархія як основи поствоєнної трансформації Україні

English

Trust and heterarchy as the foundations of Ukraine's post-war transformation

Abstract. Introduction.The full-scale aggression against Ukraine has exposed the limitations of hierarchical governance models while simultaneously demonstrating the extraordinary capacity of Ukrainian society for selforganization and horizontal cooperation. This experience has revealed the potential for introducing a heterarchical logic of social and state organization. The analysis of trust as a foundation of heterarchical structures, especially in the Ukrainian context, is of critical importance. The incorporation of the concept of trust into legal scholarship expands the understanding of legal norms and their effectiveness, since interpersonal trust significantly influences the implementation and enforcement of law. The concept of heterarchy is considered a response to uncertainty, entailing multiple centers of power and flexible coordination based on trust and mutual recognition. Purpose. This article aims to substantiate trust and heterarchy as foundational principles for Ukraine’s postwar transformation. The research contributes to legal scholarship by advancing an open, dialogical, and valueoriented model of legal order – viewing trust as a resource, heterarchy as a form, and law as an instrument for constructing a qualitatively new architecture of Ukrainian statehood. Materials and methods. The study draws on works by domestic and foreign scholars whose research addresses the issues of trust and heterarchy. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, the article applies methods of systems and conceptual analysis to explore the interrelation between trust and the formation of heterarchical structures. Results. Trust is identified as a fundamental component of social interaction, integrating moral-ethical, socio-psychological, cognitive, economic, and axiological dimensions. It is a key factor in the transformation of the legal system, particularly in conditions of low institutional trust in Ukraine. Heterarchy, as an alternative form of social organization, is characterized by multiple power centers, flexible redistribution of authority, and polycentric responsibility. Ukraine’s postwar transformation requires a radical rethinking of approaches to governance and the legal system, including the institutionalization of new forms of representation, administration, and legal accountability based on heterarchical logic. The development of polycentric governance models calls for updates to the legislative framework regarding the distribution of authority, administrative autonomy, and mechanisms of horizontal coordination, as well as the implementation of principles of openness, transparency, and rotational leadership. The legal system must become the architect of a new state structure capable of institutionalizing a heterarchical form of social organization in Ukraine, grounded in the value of trust, the flexibility of heterarchy, and the priority of collective decision-making. Discussion. Further research should focus on the development of specific legal mechanisms and models that would ensure the effective implementation of heterarchical principles across various domains of public administration and societal life in Ukraine, as well as on analyzing the long-term socio-economic consequences of such transformation.

Keywords: trust; heterarchy; post-war transformation; self-organization; governance