TRANSFORMATION OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS ACROSS DIFFERENT HISTORICAL PERIODS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE THEORY OF ECONOMIC SECURITY

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of theoretical approaches to understanding economic interests across different historical periods in the development of economic thought. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for a deeper understanding of the nature of economic interests as a fundamental category of economic science that defines the motivation behind the behavior of economic agents, the directions of development of economic relations, and the mechanisms of resource allocation in society. Of particular importance is the study of the transformation of economic interests in the context of contemporary economic processes, characterized by intensifying globalization trends, technological changes, and the growing role of the institutional environment in the formation of economic behavior. The aim of the research is to synthesize theoretical approaches to understanding economic interests across different historical periods, identify the characteristics of their formation and transformation, and substantiate the meaning of the category “economic interest” in the context of the contemporary development of economic systems and the assurance of economic security. The study employs historical-logical, comparative, and systemic research methods, which allowed for an analysis of how the nature of economic interests has changed depending on the characteristics of a society’s socioeconomic development. As a result of the study, it was established that the content of economic interests in different historical periods was determined by the dominant forms of economic activity, the structure of social relations, and the system of regulatory framework for economic activity. It is shown that in the early stages of economic system development, economic interests were predominantly collective in nature and were realized within the framework of moral and religious norms, whereas the subsequent development of market relations contributed to their individualization and the strengthening of the role of economic rationality. It is determined that in modern conditions, economic interests are shaped under the influence of the institutional environment, market mechanisms, and external factors of economic development. A generalized definition of economic interest is substantiated as the conscious need of an economic agent aimed at maximizing economic benefit under conditions of resource scarcity and information insufficiency, which is realized through a system of economic relations within the framework of existing social norms and changed under the influence of the external environment.