From «People» to «Public»: on the understanding of society in Russia in the XVII-XVIII centuries

The main research subject of this article is the relationship between the concepts of society and state in Russia of the XVII-XVIII centuries. The notion of society in this period is inextricably linked with the concept of state. Metaphorical perception of the socio-political reality was based on a long-standing religious tradition. An alternative understanding of social categories emerged in the second half of the XVIII century in connection with the development of the public sphere.