Kostenko Oleksandr Mykolayovych

Leading Researcher of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Doctor of Law, Professor, Full Member (Academician) of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine

+380 44 278 32 68

 KOSTENKO Oleksandr Mykolayovych — leading researcher of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Doctor of Law, Professor, Full Member (Academician) of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine.

In 1978 he graduated from the Law Faculty of the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv State University (now Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University). In 1978—1979 he worked as an attorney at the Mykolaiv Regional Bar Association. From 1979 to 1982 he studied at the postgraduate course of the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (now the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). Since 1982 he worked as a junior researcher, researcher, senior researcher, leading researcher at the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. From 1999 to 2023 — Head of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminology and Judicial System of the same Institute.

In 1983, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Law on the topic: «The Problem of the Ratio of Rational and Emotional in Criminology» in the specialty 12.00.08 — criminal law and criminology; correctional and labor law at the Kyiv State University named after T.G. Shevchenko (now — Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko).

In 1995, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Law on the topic: «The Will and Consciousness of a Criminal (Research Using the Principle of Naturalism)» in the specialty 12.00.08 — criminal law and criminology; criminal enforcement law at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Areas of scientific activity: philosophy of law, worldview and methodological problems of jurisprudence and criminology, problems of combating social anomalies (in particular, the causes and conditions and methodology of combating crime in general, terrorism, corruption, etc.).

In 1993, he formulated the «principle of social naturalism» as a methodological principle for the study of social phenomena. He researches problems in jurisprudence and criminology and develops training courses using the methodology of social naturalism. In the light of this principle, he proposed to define «law» as «laws of social nature, discovered by people and embodied in legislative acts». «Natural law» is defined as laws of social nature, which should be discovered by people and embodied by them in legislative acts. «Positive law», accordingly, is legislative acts in which the laws of social nature, discovered by people, should be embodied.According to the theory of social naturalism, proves that «the primary source of law is the laws of social nature», and the principle of «the rule of law» should be understood as the principle of «the supremacy of the laws of natural law». The concept of «crime» is defined as an act that violates the laws of social nature and is therefore recognized in legislation as a crime. An active supporter of the revival and development of the doctrine of natural law in the light of social naturalism, as well as the training of lawyers in the spirit of this doctrine. He is engaged in the implementation of a legal culture of citizens in Ukraine, based on the ideology of natural law. He formulated the «cultural-repressive concept of combating crime».

The main scientific ideas and research results are set out in dissertations and 4 individual monographs. Co-author of 17 collective monographs and textbooks. In total, about 400 scientific works have been published, including: Culture and Law — in the Fight against Evil. Kyiv : Atika. 2008. 352 p.; Problem No. 1 of Modern Civilization (in the Ukrainian Context). Cherkasy: SUEM, 2008. 112 p.;The principle of reflection in criminology (psychological mechanism of criminal behavior). Kyiv, 1986. 125 p.; Criminal arbitrariness (sociopsychology of the will and consciousness of the criminal). Kyiv, 1990. 146 p.; Principles of the «universal constitution» of nature // Tribune. 1993. No. 8—9. P. 15; Principle of naturalism in legal science and criminology// Legal system of Ukraine: theory and practice; Theses of reports and scientific reports of the scientific-practical conference (Kyiv, October 7–8, 1993). Kyiv, 1993. P. 390–392;Triangle of Fate // Viche. 1993. No. 6. P. 91—99; The Concept of Natural Law and Legislation // Rule of Law. 1996. Issue 7. P . 77—84;Culture and Law // Rule of Law. 1998. Issue 9. P. 130—136; The Main Question of Jurisprudence: Search for a Modern Solution// Erlikhiv Collection. Faculty of Law of the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. 2002. Issue 3. P. 4—10;The main issue of jurisprudence from the position of social naturalism // Problems of philosophy of law. 2003. Vol. 1. P.72—77; Problems of criminal law, criminology and criminal justice // The rule of law. Special issue. 2004. P.135—168; Criminal code and doctrine // Law of Ukraine. 2004. No. 7. 43-48;Social naturalism as a methodological principle of jurisprudence and criminology // Bulletin of the Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine. 2004. No. 4. P. 133—145; The phenomenon of the «orange revolution» in the light of political criminology // Viche. 2005. No. 1. P. 6—8; The phenomenon of law in the light of social naturalism // Journal of the Kyiv University of Law. 2005. No. 2. P. 3—12; Natural and human factors in law (research from the position of social naturalism) // Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. 2005. No. 8. P. 25–35; Social naturalism as a methodological principle of the philosophy of law // Problems of the philosophy of law. Volume IV–V. Kyiv-Chernivtsi: Ruta, 2008. P. 98–107; Social culture of citizens — the basis of a new Ukraine // Scientific notes of the National University «Kyiv-Mohyla Academy». Volume 38. Legal sciences. 2005. P. 38–41; Social naturalism — ideological basis of the cultural revolution of the 21st century// Universum. No. 9–10, September-October 2006. P. 4–8; Universal naturalism — the basis of a new type of scientific culture // Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. 2007. No. 10. P. 37–44; Social Naturalism — Worldview of the Future // Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. 2006. No. 10. P. 33–39; How to Embark on the Path of Social Progress (10 Theses for the Discussion on the Anti-Crisis Reform of Social Sciences)// Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. 2009. No. 1. P. 68–76; Corruption in Ukraine in the light of political criminology // Political management: scientific journal / editor-in-chief Yu. Zh. Shaygorodsky. 2009. No. 1. P. 49—55; Social culture of citizens — the best anti-crisis tool // Economic magazine — XXI. 2009. No. 7—8. P.17—21; Forward — to Nature! Apology of naturalism // Worldview. 2009. P. 34—38; Social naturalism — worldview of social progress (to the discussion on the question «Is social life natural?») // Contemporary achievements in science and education. Proceedings of the III International Scientific Conference. September 16—23, 2009, Tel Aviv (Israel). 2009. WITH. 121—124;Social Naturalism — the Basis of an Anti-Crisis Worldview // Philosophy and Culture. 2009. No. 4. P. 234—239 (Scientific Journal. Russian Federation, Moscow); Culture — the Mother of Order // newspaper. Den, May 30, 2009. «Is the Social Natural?» — the Main Question of the Modern Worldview // «Scientific Notes». Collection of Works of the Israeli Independent Academy for the Advancement of Sciences (INARN). 2009. № 16. P. 104—107. ISSN 1565—7965; «Naturalistic» jurisprudence — a progressive basis for national and international legal order (12 theses for the discussion of the metamorphosis of jurisprudence) // Questions of Law. All-Russian scientific and theoretical journal. 2010. № 2(6). P. 10—23; On increasing the role of social sciences in the modernization of Ukraine // Viche. Journal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2010. No. 13. P. 63—65; What is law? On the foundations of «naturalistic» jurisprudence in the light of social naturalism// Law of Ukraine. 2010. No. 4. P. 83—92; Legal science, education and legal upbringing in the mechanism of ensuring law and order (in the context of social-naturalistic jurisprudence) // State and law in the light of modern legal science. Collection of scientific works in honor of academician Yu. S. Shemshuchenko. K.: Yurydychna literatura, 2010. P. 388—400;Crime and responsibility for it in the light of social naturalism (with regard to the social-naturalistic doctrine of criminal law) // Law of Ukraine. 2010. No. 9. P. 31—40; Social naturalism as a methodological principle of comparative law and legal globalistics (theory of «naturalistic jurisprudence») // Foundations of comparative law. Methods and typologies. Edited by W.E.Butler. — Wildy, Simmonds and Hill Publishing. London. 2011. P. 234—254; Is the social natural? Problem No. 1 of the modern worldview // Tribune. 2011. No. 5—6, 7—8. P. 36—39; The concept of human rights: current state and development prospects // Bulletin of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. 2011. No. 11. P. 5—13; Social Naturalism — Current Ideology for Ukraine // Viche. 2012. No. 22. P. 24—26; Progressive Worldview and Constitutional Perspective // Viche. 2013. No. 11. P. 24—26; Enlightenment — Above Politics // Literary Ukraine. April 17, 2014, No. 16 (5545); Social naturalism — methodological basis of progressive jurisprudence // Law of Ukraine. 2014. No. 1. P. 126—136; The rule of law or morality? The problem of legal futurology // Public law. 2015. No. 1. P. 173—179; What Constitution do we need, or Human Freedom against Legal Arbitrariness // Viche. 2015. No. 13. P. 28—30; On the ideological foundations of building a progressive legal order in Ukraine (to a methodological discussion in domestic jurisprudence) // Law of Ukraine. 2015. No. 8. P. 167—185; On the socio-naturalistic method of comparison in comparative law // Philosophy of Comparative Law: Collection of Scientific Works / Edited by O.V. Kresin. Kyiv; Lviv: Liga — press, 2015. P. 471–479; The Supremacy of Law or Morality? Problems of Legal Futurology // Public Law. 2015. 1. P.173—179; Criminology. Textbook. Practical course / V.S. Kovalsky, O.M. Kostenko, G.S. Semakov [and others]. — Kyiv: Yurinkom Inter, 2016. 336 p; Social naturalism as a methodological principle for naturalistic jurisprudence// Methodology in law: monograph / General editor. I. Bezkluby. Kyiv: Gramota, 2017. P.174—179.

Under his supervision, 6 doctoral theses and 18 candidate theses were defended.
He is the head of the specialized academic council for the defense of theses D 26.236.02 at the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the NAS of Ukraine.

Awarded with state awards: Order of Merit, III degree; Honorary Diploma of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Also awarded with departmental awards of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Winner of the M.P. Vasylenko Prize of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; Winner of the Yaroslav Mudryi Prize of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine.