Denialism as a social deformation and legal means of overcoming it

The evolution of legal science approaches to the study of legal consciousness deformations, including legal nihilism and legal idealism, denialism, is investigated. Special attention is paid to the analysis of a new phenomenon for jurisprudence – denialism, which is understood as an ideologically motivated, irrational denial of objective facts and scientific knowledge, taking the form of a collective worldview. It is noted that unlike nihilism as an individual behavioral strategy, denialism has a massive, larger-scale manifestation, which poses a threat to the collective consciousness and stability of society. The manifestations of denialism in various fields and legal measures to counter it are analyzed, which are of an intersectoral nature and range from educational strategies to strict prohibitions and criminal repression. It is emphasized that the search for a balance between the protection of public interest and individual autonomy is a central problem in the context of the crisis. The conclusion is made about the need for an integrated approach combining legal restrictions with active educational activities, increasing the level of education of the population, especially in the digital environment.