National culture as the plane for contemporary thought concerning the defensive capability and competitiveness of the state. Part 1: culture’s potential function

The paper consists of two parts and is theoretical and empirical in character. This part shows national culture as society’s main force in the struggle to maintain its continuity and integrity by building up the competitive and defensive capabilities of the state. The study is mainly focused on presenting theoretical and legal premises regarding the issue of the state’s defensive capability linked to its competitiveness on the cultural plane. The discussed premises stem from the long history of societies that function within the framework of market economy and that base their economic competitiveness and defensive capabilities on a highly developed culture of trust. This type of culture fulfils a number of defensive functions and is also projected to be used in the European defensive policy