The article reveals the general theoretical features of the formation of the universal legal category “development”. Attention is drawn to the exceptional general scientific significance of development against the background of insufficient development of this issue by domestic legal scholars, in particular within the framework of the specialized scientific disciplines of philosophy of law, theory of law, history of state and law. Thanks to the application of the method of philological interpretation, development with certain changes, positive and progressive, was identified, which was appropriately consolidated in the current legislation. An equal sign was drawn between the essential feature and the attribute, and the priority of the application of the latter in scientific research was emphasized. The essential features of the concept of development, which are distinguished by philosophical, economic and political science doctrines, were analyzed, and conclusions were drawn about the presence of certain contradictions between them. The result of the discussion was the identification of essential features of development, which are positivity, irreversibility, subject orientation, regularity and relativity of progressive quantitative and qualitative changes of a certain legal object, including legal science itself. At the same time, it was noted that the specified general essential features of development acquire corresponding features depending on the specifics of the subject area of development. The dual nature of the subject orientation of legal development, which consists of objects of law and legal values, is determined. Based on the essential features, a definition of legal development is given. The author’s vision of the relationship between evolution, revolution, modernization and development is revealed. The level of identity of the categories of formation and development, which are often used in parallel and simultaneously, is clarified.

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