The Armed Forces and Establishment of Secondary Social Institutes

In this article, the author examines in detail various aspects of transforming the armed forces into an instrument of socio-economic modernization. The object of research in this case is the army as a social institute, and the subject of the study is historical examples of hybrid institutional agreements with the participation of the army for the design of new institutional formations. Particular attention is paid to positive examples of the participation of armed forces in hybridization processes in the past, namely, knightly orders, martial arts, medieval military mercenaries, etc. At the same time, examples of unsuccessful hybrid agreements such as military settlements are also given. The aim of this study is the search for alternative methods of capitalizing the military potential of modern states in the changing conditions of a multipolar world based on historical experience. The research methodology is based on the achievements of the “new institutional economy” and involves identifying the place and role of the armed forces in the social mechanism through structural-functional and procedural-dynamic analysis. As a result of the study, it can be concluded that the task of capitalization of the country’s military potential and turning it into an instrument of socio-economic modernization can be solved if society is considered not only in the context of the diversity of content but in terms of the relationships between its constituent universal concepts. Cooperation and hybridization of institutes within the institutional matrix in this vein open up opportunities to overcome the factors hindering socio-economic development. The author's contribution to the solution of the research goal is the establishment of a connection between the “valence” of social institutions associated with the use of violence and the ability of society to find a balance between security and progress.

institutes, institutional matrix, universals, hybridization, military enterprise, orders of chivalry, mercenaries, mestnichestvo, mafia, military settlements