Historian Yaroslav Hrytsak: “The social contract implies that society has institutions that are willing to tolerate or endure”

Aspen Institute Kyiv continues the series of dialogues to discuss various aspects of the social contract. Institute engages Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders from different spheres of our society in these discussions. In addition, as part of the project’s development, the Institute has prepared a collection of essays written by leading Ukrainian thinkers.

Also, Aspen Institute Kyiv held a public discussion on “The Social Contract in Ukraine: Quo Vadis?” on January 24. Speakers explored both the philosophical aspect of the social contract and more practical and methodological issues, such as how to find a social agreement and what actions it should entail.

Institutional trust as the basis of the social contract

Yaroslav Hrytsak, historian, public intellectual, and professor at UCU, talked about faith in state institutions that arose in Ukrainian society during the full-scale invasion by Russia and ways to preserve it.

“We are talking only about certain metaphors. Even if we live in the metaphor of a honeymoon, we understand that it cannot be stretched; it must be transferred to a stable marriage. Trust arose as a result of war because both society and the state are now working for survival and security. Whether this trust will hold – I do not know, but we must do everything to make it happen – we need institutions that will be responsible for this trust.”

The role of the consolidation of efforts of reformers and intellectuals for the development of the country

Yaroslav Hrytsak believes that within the framework of the new social contract, the “shadow” of public institutions should disappear. They should act in the “light,” using citizens’ trust and doing everything to support it. In other words, new institutions that society is willing to tolerate or endure should emerge.

“To establish such trust, a motivated group of people with a political project, who will restart the country by creating new rules of the game and new institutions, must emerge and become an authority.”

Mr. Yaroslav also adds that intellectuals should support this project and assist in its development.