Purpose. The article is devoted to the topic of security relevant in the current socio-economic reality. The subject of the study is the analysis of concepts, policies, security strategies in the history of socio-philosophical thought. To solve the scientific and practical task of searching for a new paradigm of social structure, a socio-philosophical understanding of both the initial principles and the socio-cultural dynamics of social status is required. Therefore, the problem of social and philosophical analysis of public safety at all its levels is especially significant. The scientific novelty of the study is the subject of the article, which is expressed in the analysis of approaches to the concept of “security” of representatives of social and philosophical thought in a direct formulation. The direct supply of security problems in the first was expressed in the work of: N. Machiavelli, M. Highdeggera, B. Checherina. All other representatives of socio-philosophical thought consider the concept of security either in the context of approaches similar in meaning and content to the sought, or complementing and concretizing its structure: Platon, Aristotle, F. Aquinsky, T. Hobbes, I. Kant, F Hegel, O. Comte, G. Spencer, K. Marx and others. Methodology. The foundations of the study are the analysis of views on the security problem in the history of socio-philosophical thought in the problems of socio-philosophical analysis. Results. The issue of security of social systems is one of the most important topics of social philosophy, which implies the study of the views of prominent thinkers of the past, in the theory and practice of the safety of social systems and their impact on the current state. The modern theory of security, although it actively comprehends its subject, is an emerging theory. Hence, the main thing is the definition of its methodological foundations. We believe that in modern conditions the most developed methodology is the philosophical theory of the universal. Understanding security as a process that develops in a spiral, through the negation of negation, through the transition of quantitative changes to qualitative ones, allows developing strategies. Security in the system “personal security – regional security – state security – interstate security”. To develop a theory of security as a holistic system, it is necessary to determine its socio-cultural foundations as a universal holistic system developed by civilization, taking into account the specifics of the national mentality under consideration. Practical implications. In our opinion, the security problem is, of course, a socio-philosophical problem, since a socio-philosophical analysis of the problem is required to develop concepts and models of state, national and regional security. Social philosophy should equip related social sciences with a modern methodological base, which creates the possible and necessary prerequisites for the development of a scientifically-based safety system, which is extremely demanded by social practice today.