Threats and challenges as components of maritime security in securitological terms

Abstract

The text is inspired by an attempt to apply a securitological approach to a critical analysis of the state of maritime safety research, with the intention of identifying the “hard core" of the research agenda. The approach is based on the assumption of the Pythagoreans that the root and source of full knowledge is the quadruplicity, “arch quadruple”, also known as the tetraktys. This quadruplicity has occurred with various perspicuity in the history of human thought which seeks explanation and understanding of the things learnt. This four division is manifested in securitological and praxeological research by distinguish-ing four methods of providing (making) security and researching security as a fractal system, mainly including the the quadruple-element social system. While this system in the securitology includes socio-mass, socioenergy and sociostructure as well as socioculture, maritime security (by analogy) can be analyzed as one that consists of such basic elements as: hydromass, hydropower and hydrostructure, and hydroculture. The first is expressed by the quantity and quality of people related to their life with the sea, the second – with the economic effects they achieve, and the third – with the organization of these people expressed in legal regulations, and finally, the fourth – in the values and motivations preferred by these groups. Such an analysis seems to be one that is attractive and closer to the truth about maritime safety as an instrument (object) of the safety of the sea (subject).