SECURITY THEORY: SECURITY AS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL PHENOMENON

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
The current turbulent developing world brings many positive, but also negative phenomena, processes, events that manifest themselves in various areas of human life as an individual and human society as a whole.This is evidenced by the existing and ubiquitous threats and risks that rightly prioritize security issues.Security is a basic and necessary condition for the development of any society.It can be stated that there is no area of social life that is not connected with it.Currently, therefore, security is one of the most frequent and most inflected concepts in all its forms.This is one of the reasons why solving security problems is now part of management processes at all levels and in all areas of society.However, the acceptance of the security field as an integral part of social life still encounters problems that raise a number of questions, opinions and a wide-ranging discussion on the theoretical and methodological aspects of understanding security.Security research thus develops in several directions and ways.
Reflections and the search for an answer to the question of what security is have accompanied humanity throughout its existence.Security is one of the most strongly felt human needs (Belan, 2016, p. 31) and initially, people associated security mainly with these two aspects: a) security as protection against natural hazards which represented natural elements, disasters, calamities and their consequences, wildlife, etc.People considered this factor to be something quite natural that belonged to their world.Their existence or non-existence depended mainly on whether they would have sufficient natural livelihoods and whether they could resist natural hazards, resp.eliminates natural threats.
b) security linked to social threats.Gradually, as humans began to associate, new dangers and threats began to emerge, caused by man himself, that is, a creature of the same species.One had to start defending oneself against another person and many times even to fight for life and death for one's abode, hunting grounds, pastures, fields, territory.
A person with the acquisition and accumulation of property, when he becomes its owner, must devote part of his forces and resources to its protection.With the ownership of property, there are inequalities and differences between people, which, according to Hofreiter (2006, p. 11), provokes less wealthy or poor, who would also like to own some property, respectively.they would like to own it in a larger quantity, volume, or area.One becomes aware of the threats posed by other people and is forced to take measures to ensure one's safety and to protect one's property.However, his efforts to ensure his safety and to protect his property become counterproductive.By trying to achieve a higher level of security and increasing one's potential, the man-owner of the property provokes others with his growing power and thus becomes a threat to his surroundings.Others, feeling the threat from such a person, try to achieve a higher level of security and also increase their strength potential.The continuation of this counterproductive process in the form of militarization and feverish armaments and its consequences in the form of many tragic conflicts are known to humanity, according to Kazansky (2011), not only from ancient, but not so ancient history.
Despite the above-mentioned efforts of people to ensure their security and protect their property, security was mainly associated with life without wars.The horrors of war have, in human history, very often entered people's lives, bringing fear and sacrifice, causing suffering, hunger, disease and epidemics.Therefore, efforts to ensure peace have been linked mainly to ensuring security.Also, at a time of bipolar division of the world and the threat of a possible apocalypse as a result of a rocket-nuclear war between two antagonistic militarypolitical groupings, the issue of security was associated mainly with efforts to prevent the outbreak of a devastating military conflict between the two superpowers and their allies.
However, following the easing of tensions in post-Cold War international relations, under the influence of deepening globalization and insufficient solutions to global human problems, the security environment is constantly deteriorating, and tensions and deteriorating relations between states are increasing.As a result of globalization, stability and security are changing.
Globalization is a highly dynamic multilateral process in which political, economic, social, security, military-strategic, technological, environmental, cultural, and other factors intersect and influence each other.At the same time, the development of globalization so far shows that economic factors have a decisive influence on its course, which significantly influences other factors.Based on them, a new system of not only international economic, political, and social relations, but also security relations are being created (Ivančík, 2011, p. 46).At the same time, political globalization is taking place as the importance of international bodies and organizations, exercising jurisdiction in the international arena, grows.
The deepening of economic, political, social and security activities across national borders because of growing globalization processes brings, together with the growing interconnectedness of individual actors in these processes, the acceleration and intensification of multilateral cooperation at the transnational level.However, strong internationalization, together with the weakening of temporal and spatial barriers, brings with it, in addition to many positives, also many negatives.These are reflected in new, especially non-military, asymmetric security threats, such as international terrorism, crossborder organized crime, illegal mass migration, the spread of religious and ethnic extremism, cyber attacks on public and private computer networks and systems, foreign intelligence activities or threats. in the possibility of using certain weapons of mass destruction.
Today, security is no longer associated only with military, but increasingly also with nonmilitary threats.In addition, security is increasingly taking on a social dimension, following the aforementioned failure to address global problems of mankind.Therefore, in the context of security, growing inequalities, rising unemployment, poverty, crime, overcrowding in certain agglomerations and regions, uncontrolled mass illegal migration, stagnation, decline, corruption, and the failure to solve socio-economic and many other issues need to be addressed.
Unlike in the past, humanity is currently more affected by risks and threats such as unstable political regimes, failing states and insecure borders that allow not only illegal migration but also trade in human organs, smuggling of weapons, drugs and various goods.and religious conflicts, lack of resources and widespread crime.In this calculation, the solution of serious problems of devastation and degradation of the environment, depletion of resources, industrial and natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics, etc. cannot be omitted.In addition, without a deliberate attempt to exaggerate, it can be stated that some current manifestations of human behaviour and action in several spheres of society threaten the very existence and development of man as a biological species.
According to Homer-Dixon (2006), one of the serious problems of today's world, which has a significant impact on security, is also the fact that due to the rapid quantitative growth of interconnections of individual subsystems of human society, there is such a close connection and interconnectedness between them of a process in one subsystem will cause problems or shocks throughout the system.Another problem is that in today's world it is almost impossible to draw the exact line between external and internal security, as the removal of administrative and political barriers between states has allowed not only the free movement of people, money, and goods but also, unfortunately, the creation of better conditions for increasing illegal activities of terrorist groups or groups of organized crime.And since even natural disasters, industrial accidents or contagious diseases do not respect national borders, no country is isolated from these negative phenomena due to deepening globalization, even though their resources are very far away (Hofreiter, 2006, p. 55).
For these reasons, security cannot therefore be guaranteed absolutely.Reasonable security 1 needs to be considered rather than a degree of security that is sufficient and proportionate to the requirements of today's globalized world.In addition to stable national and international relations, this required degree is also based on its sustainable development, which requires a comprehensive and systematic understanding and examination of all components of the social, political, economic, natural, technical, and technological environment.And this is also one of the reasons why, when defining the term security, there is no consensus on the interpretation of this term (Ušiak, 2010, p. 25).The issue of security is extremely broad and the analysis of factors that affect the possible starting points of its research is still an inexhaustible topic. 2 Like any concept, the concept of security must reflect the changing dynamics of social life and the security environment.Given the establishment of the Copenhagen School in the 1980s, the expansion and deepening of security theory is thus considered a permanent trend (Ušiak -Lasicová, 2011, p. 161).
Therefore, the primary goal of the author of this study, following previous research and work in the field of security, is with the use of relevant methods in interdisciplinary scientific research (theoretical analysis and synthesis, qualitative and content analysis, methods of theoretical generalization of knowledge, methods of description, etc.) to contribute to the development of the emerging theory of security, to expand the theoretical and perceptual foundations of security and to offer readers from the professional as well as the lay public verified and new information in the field of security.The presented methodology is based on a heuristic approach applied in qualitative research in security and political sciences, analysis, synthesis, and comparison of possible starting points processed in theoretical analyses and practical constructs of renowned authors from domestic and foreign academic environment, which reflect the concept of security from the point of view of system theories.
The dynamic development of human society in recent years brings, among other things, dynamic changes in the development of the security environment and the security situation.This in turn not only generates a number of new asymmetric security threats and risks and the security measures needed to eliminate them, but also changes the way politicians, political scientists, scientists, soldiers, security and other experts think about security, what point of view they look at it and how they approach it.Because there is no generally binding interpretation or a valid and unified definition of security, there are many different approaches to its examination.Therefore, it is quite logical that each of them emphasizes different factors.In this context, Eichler states that individual schools and the authors themselves differ in their approach to safety and its definition in a number of aspects.Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses (Eichler, 2009, p. 23).
Depending on the possible point of view of security, the chosen approach or position, the variance between the views and interpretations of the term for some authors is either none, very small or, on the contrary, very large.Even no intersection can sometimes be found between them.The only unity is that security is a difficult concept to grasp.Therefore, it is basically impossible to determine exactly what this term means, or to assign unambiguous numerical values to it, in contrast to a number of quantities known from the natural or technical sciences (McSweeney, 1999, p. 13).However, it is certainly possible to agree by consensus that security is one of the highest values, which is a prerequisite for the development of mankind and a guarantee of the freedom of human society.At the same time, security is one of the basic human needs that must be constantly developed, protected, and met (Hofreiter, 2006, p. 54).

Terminological background of the concept of security
The term of security is a common part of every language.Even every individual has a certain general and at least roughly identical idea of what safety means.However, from the point of view of the professional context, the term security, despite the large body of professional literature, is often used intuitively, ambiguously, which means that the discussion often suffers from considerable uncertainty.The source of ambiguity in this complex concept can be the confusion of two basic meanings of security.Therefore, it is appropriate to distinguish whether it is security in the sense of a general attribute, character, criterion, resp.characteristics, or security in the sense of an area of activity, sphere, or policy.
In the first meaning of security, in trying to list all the features, characters, some difficulties can arise, because security can take values from zero to completeness.In this case, security can be attributed to anything, such as distance, source of information, or supply of raw materials, and the like.In the second basic sense, security is linked to a functional sphere, a dimension (for example, internal security, energy security), an area of activity (ensuring public order and security) or even directly with policy (security policy).This dimension of meaning is much more dynamic, as it involves not only security processes, but also the conscious and controlled action of specific entities and institutions or groups, organizations, states, or coalitions (Stejskal, 2007, p. 11).
The term security correlates with such conflicting terms as threat, risk, and danger.In the last period, the term challenge has been added to them more and more often, which corresponds to the first notion of security.However, as far as security is concerned in terms of its second meaning, the simple logic resulting from the phrase "where there is a threat or risk, there is security" is not enough, because threats and risks are part of every action, every practical activity.
In addition to various professional books, textbooks, articles, contributions or commentaries, the term security also appears in various general or professional lexicons and interpretive or educational dictionaries, where it is mostly characterized as state, sense of security, stability, order, reliability and especially the existence of a subject without threats.For example, the Dictionary of the Contemporary Slovak Language (2015) defines the term security as "a state without a real threat of danger, or as a property of what does not pose any threat, danger."The Glossary of Security Relations (2002) defines security as "a state where the protection of protected interests is at such a level that the risk of harm to them is minimized." The terminology dictionary of crisis management characterizes security as "the state of a social, natural, technical, technological system or other system which, in specific internal and external conditions, enables the fulfilment of specified functions and their development in the interest of man and society" (Šimák, 2005, p. 5).
The Oxford Glossary (2018) defines security as "a state without danger or threat", or as "a state in which the subject is burdened with neither danger nor fear and is secured against possible attack".The Cambridge Glossary (2018), in turn, defines security as "a condition in which persons, buildings, organizations or countries are protected from threats such as crime or attacks by foreign countries" or presents it as "a condition in which something is unlikely to fail or will be lost".
Defining security by its opposite, in contrast, is not an isolated attempt to define the essence of the term.A number of other definitions of security can be found in the literature, as mentioned above.For example, "security is a situation where threats to an object (usually the state or an international organization) and its interests are eliminated to the lowest possible extent, and this object is effectively equipped and willing to cooperate in eliminating current and potential threats" (Mareš, 2015).
From the wide plethora of Slovak authors dealing with security, we choose the definition of Volner, according to which "security is a concrete-historical, dynamic, relative, diverse, multifaceted, multifaceted and multilevel phenomenon" (Volner, 2012, p. 21).His perception of security is not abstract, permanent, and unchanging, but always concrete, because it concerns a specific phenomenon, process, relationship or thing, specific conditions and circumstances, a specific environment, time and space, and a specific form of expression and quality.Jurčák (2020, p. 5) says that "the term security is generally perceived as a synonym of the words security, safety, or peace, and at the same time as an antonym of a real threat or danger".Hofreiter (2006, p. 32) states that "security is a condition in which the security risks of the object and its interests are effectively limited, and the object is effectively equipped to limit current and potential security risks".Holcr and Erneker take a similar view, when consider security to be "a real, current state, the value of which is always determined by the nature of the danger on the one hand and the means of restraining or averting it on the other hand" (Murdza, 2005, p. 250).Korzeniowski (2008), as one of the distinguished representatives of the Polish authors, in his earlier work, defines security as "a certain objective state, which consists in the absence of a threat that is subjectively felt (perceived) by individuals or groups of people".In recent work, he has already partially modified this definition and defines security as "an objective state that is a function of the level of threat and defence potential" (Korzeniowski, 2016).Further significant representatives from the Polish Security School, Pokruszyoski and Piwowarski (2019, p. 78) consider security to be the highest, absolute, and eternal value, necessary for the development of human society.The highest, because it is the basis of everything we do; absolute because it covers all sections of society; and eternal, because it is necessary at every stage of human development.Eichler (2006, p. 8), as the representative of the Czech authors, considers security to be "a fundamental value and the highest goal of any state or security community uniting several states".Ukrainian academician Zaplatynskyi (2009, p. 61) speaks of state security as "a state that enables the functioning, stability and development of the state, preserves peace, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders, internal order in the state, fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens and protection of life and health of people, property and the environment".Serbian scientists Todorovid and Trifunovid (2020, p. 11) consider security to be "the science of the state of the state and the processes in the state, specifically the state and processes that enable the normal functioning of the state and development." From other foreign authors, we select, for example, the opinion of Purpura and Bailliet. Purpura (2011, p. 52) defines security as "the removal or resistance to potential harm (or other undesirable coercive change) from external forces, where the recipients (technical officers) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, and any other entity or phenomenon that is threatened by adverse changes in its environment".In contrast, Bailliet (2009, p. 35) describes security as "a state in which individuals, groups and states do not feel threatened by serious threats, or are considered to be effectively protected from them, and can create their future according to their own ideas." By synthesizing the previous definitions, we emphasize the broader gnoseological context in the study of safety, which is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon.Not only Hofreiter (2008, p. 106), but also Lasicová and Ušiak (2012, p. 28) refer to this.According to them, "security is a complex concept, a category of being at different analytical levels of individual, group, local, state, regional and global level, where several differentiated, flexible external and internal social factors operate (military, economic, political, social, legal, environmental, energy, cyber), which have the ability to create temporary (relative) stability at the causal level and through which all kinds of crises, risks, threats and wars can be eliminated".

Approaches to security definition
When specifying and examining security, the existence of several possible approaches to its definition, which differ more or less from each other, cannot be neglected either.From the end of the 20th century to the present, two basic approaches in the field of security research have emerged on an extensive theoretical level: a) traditional approach b) modern approach.
These approaches more closely reflect other assumptions of the definition of security, based on either the negative and positive aspects of security or in terms of a broader and narrower definition of the term.
The traditional approach represents a negative and narrower definition of security.This approach emphasizes the opposition to danger and the related need to ensure the existence and functioning of the entity from external threats.The traditional approach is developed mainly in military theory referred to as "hard security".
The second approach represents a new, positive, and broader view of security.In contrast to the unilateral definition of the military dimension of security and military threats, it perceives security from several aspects based on non-military causes of tensions, crises, and conflicts in international relations (Škvrnda, 2013, p. 395).Such a modern approach is known in security theory as "soft security".
To supplement the above information, it can be stated that the approach based on negative and positive definition of safety is based on the assumption that the safety of the entity (person, group, state, community, etc.) is a very demanding and almost immeasurable quantity.
A positive definition of security is always linked to a certain object, thing, animal, human being, community, state, or security community (grouping, union, coalition) and also to the values that are professed and shared.A secure entity is one that has its survival and opportunities for its further development, is out of reach of direct and urgent threats, or is reliably protected from them.An animal or any other species is secure if there is no natural enemy in its territory.The environment, in turn, is secure when it is not adversely affected by industrial and other human activities (Eichler, 2009, p. 12).
The negative definition of security is based on the absence of a threat, and therefore security is explained as the opposite of the state of threat resulting from the interaction of individual actors who have different interests and preferences.They are also determined to use force, whether military, political or economic, to achieve them.According to the negative definition of security, a state is secure if it is not exposed to any direct and urgent threat, and the ideas based on which it is founded and built are not questioned (Moller, 1997, p. 43-44).
An example of a negative security definition can be the absence of threats arising from the use of weapons of mass destruction in certain countries.Conversely, in other states, the use of weapons of mass destruction may be considered a security threat, where the intervention of the international community or the intervention of that state is already necessary to eliminate that threat, which constitutes a positive definition of security (Nečas -Ušiak, 2010, p. 81).The boundaries are very thin in this case, so the question of defining the limits of positive and negative security has recently come to the forefront of the interest of theorists.
In addition to the above definitions, security can also be viewed through a broader and narrower understanding.In a narrower definition of the term security, the individual authors come out mainly from the military-political concept of security, when the main object of research is focused on the state as the main actor.This means that the breadth of the definition is narrower and there is only one main actor -the state.
In the broader concept of security, individual authors focus their attention on other areas of social life, such as economic, political, environmental, social, energy and information spheres.At the same time, security is perceived not only from one point of view, for example from the point of view of the state, but from several basic points of view, as: a) individual security -perceived at the level of individuals, not groups or populations; b) security of national groups -perceived at the level of organized groups within society, interest groups or political parties; c) state security -traditionally perceived at the level of states as subjects of international law; d) security of regional groupings -perceived at the level of various regional groupings, such as European Union, African Union, etc.; e) security of the international environment -perceived at the broadest global international level (Nečas -Ušiak, 2010, p. 81).
Since currently the individual actors operate either at one or several levels simultaneously, the representatives of the so-called The Copenhagen schools (Buzan, Waewer, de Wilde and others) declare that their number and classification are not the same.To compare it with the previous breakdown, according to them, it is necessary to perceive security in the first place, especially according to what security is involved.Based on this, it is then possible to classify all subjects into the following five levels, which are represented: a) global international systems; these represent the broadest conglomerates of interdependent actors and their relations -such as the UN, the WTO or the global economic system; b) international subsystems; these are groupings of units that differ in their intensity of links from their surroundings, although they are usually territorially defined -for example, NATO, the OECD, the European Union or the African Union; c) units representing traditional States; however, at present, strong multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), whose activities are in no way dependent on the power of individual states, have also become autonomous units; d) subunits, which are groups or formalized networks organized within units; e) individuals (Stejskal, 2007, p. 23).
Unlike the previous five-level classification, Moller distinguishes only three levels of safety.It is a national, social, and human level.In his conception, the national level is represented by the state.Its content is state sovereignty and power in forms of varying intensity.Social security is represented by collective entities, communities, or groups, and is responsible for the identity of entities and its maintenance.Human security concerns individuals and its content consists mainly of their individual security, survival, and wellbeing (Moller, 1997, p. 46).

Comparison of security approaches
As part of a theoretical excursion in the field of security, we consider it useful to compare the well-known approaches to security used in individual countries.Their closer analysis shows that in Anglo-Saxon countries, but especially in the United States, security is considered a reflection of reliable defence and protection of the traditional values of society, the rule of law, defence, and promotion of vital and strategic interests of the state.Security is a state of ensuring the survival of the state, citizens, their independence, and sustainable development.The basic characteristic of security is to safeguard the vital interests of citizens and the state against external and internal threats, which can be real, anticipated and potential.
The German approach to security emphasizes the security of the state and values against external and internal threats.Security, whether external or internal, is mainly divided into political, economic, and military.It is understood as a state of security for the territory, integrity and inviolability of the state and its political sovereignty.At the same time, these are the basic preconditions for the viability of the state and ensuring the security of its citizens.
The French understanding of security, in turn, is based on the definition of a state of rest in which there is no danger to the subject.Achieving this state depends on a set of measures, procedures and means created and intended for the protection of human lives and property.Security in this sense is a state that depends primarily on external influences and state policy (Marchevka, 2010, p. 42).
The Polish understanding of security is based on the premise that security is the highest, absolute, and eternal value for humanity, necessary for the development of human society at any stage of its development.In connection with security research and the development of security theory in Poland, it is necessary to highlight the comprehensive approach of individual authors to security, to clarify the theoretical aspects of those phenomena, processes, events that allow to properly understand, define, and understand security issues in its entirety.
The Czech definition of security can be found in Czech security terminology, according to which "security is a state where threats to an object with its interests are eliminated to the lowest possible extent and this object is effectively equipped and willing to cooperate in eliminating current and potential threats." it combines a positive and a negative approach, because it understands security not only as an objective state or property of the subject and the environment, but also as a functional sphere including a set of specific activities and processes aimed at ensuring the security of individuals and the state as a whole.
The Slovak understanding of security is defined in the Security Strategy of the Slovak Republic from 2001, which states: "The Slovak Republic perceives its security as a state in which internal security and order, sovereignty and integrity are maintained, democratic foundations of the state and in which the environment is protected.".The currently valid Security Strategy of the Slovak Republic from 2021 does not directly define security and uses the term security of the state or citizen without defining the content of this term in more detail.
In Constitutional Act No. 227/2002 Coll. on the security of the state in time of war, a state of war, a state of emergency, as amended, security is defined as "a state in which the peace and security of the state, its democratic order and sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of state borders, fundamental rights and freedoms are maintained, which protects the lives and health of persons, property and the environment".
Given that the definition of security is closely linked to the issue of national and international security, it should be noted in this context that the national adjective is associated with the Anglo-Saxon approach to security, not with an ethnic but with a national political definition of security.Therefore, in terms of the use of the attribute's "national" security or "state" security, we can consider these attributes as synonymous (Marchevka -Németh, 2010, p. 25).
For the purposes of applying the modern approach to security research, it is desirable to accept certain unifying conclusions based on the following statements: -security is expressed by the existence of basic conditions for life and development, -security is multidimensional, -a number of security actors, predominantly non-state actors, is increasing, -the importance of the so-called non-military security is growing, -non-violent procedures will be given priority in addressing security concerns (Škvrnda, 2010, p. 485).

DIMENSIONS OF SECURITY
The dynamic development of human society and the fundamental changes in the global, continental, and regional security environment that we have seen, especially in the last two decades of the 20th century and in the first two decades of the 21st century, have inevitably brought with them the expansion and deepening of the security agenda.This, as part of the security debate, is subject to the day-to-day real problems it faces.Therefore, to better understand the complexity of this security issue, it is necessary to deal with the multidimensional security model at least briefly.
Moller includes the military, political, economic, environmental, and societal dimensions among the basic dimensions of security.Given the current development trends, which signal the need to expand the dimensional understanding of security, at the end of the second decade of the 21st century, it is desirable to add two more to the above dimensions -information and energy, which are now considered semantically equivalent.
All the above dimensions consist of a relatively wide range of security issues, various entities, institutions or activities and relationships, within which it is possible to identify some other dimensions, such as external, internal, objective, subjective, quantitative, qualitative, etc.
Taking into consideration the current developments in the world, as well as academic and political discussions, it is also possible to consider other security dimensions.Mention should be made, for example, of the technological and infrastructural level of security, or the cultural field of security, which, as the least mapped dimension of security so far, is a necessary precondition for ensuring security in the event of problems and tensions arising from contact of the different cultures.

The military dimension of security
The military sector has traditionally been very closely linked to security.That is why this dimension is one of the most mapped and developed in the theory of security.In this context, the armed forces play a crucial role, with issues related to the defence and security of the state coming to the fore.This often overlaps the two concepts.
Although after the end of the Cold War, the elimination of bipolarity and changes in the global security environment, the risk of direct military threats from global warfare has decreased and non-military security threats gradually prevail over military ones, in the military sector the state remains a central security player.It is precisely the state that, in this dimension of security, claims its right to survival if it feels threatened.
Despite the currently very low probability of a global war conflict or a very unlikely military attack on NATO or EU member states, a number of local and regional conflicts continue to arise in the world, which may negatively affect the development of the global security environment.On this basis, it is a direct necessity for states to maintain and use their armed forces, resp.to have them ready for use in the event of a threat to the interests of the state and its people.
Small and medium-sized states integrate into military-political organizations in order to ensure the benefits of collective defence and the protection of common interests, despite the loss of some independence in decision-making.On the contrary, large states are striving -and will continue to strive -to gain the upper hand so that they can circumvent this subordination to collective decision-making, resp.minimizes as much as possible.In this sense, military security will always rely, especially in large states, on the power potential of one's own state and on its relationship to major centres of power.
From the point of view of the military dimension of security, the position of the state will remain paramount.Despite the various current integration trends, the state will always be at the forefront of ensuring the security and defence of its independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty, ensuring the security and protection of its citizens and, last but not least, its interests.

The political dimension of security
The political level of security -like the military level -has always belonged to the classic dimensions of security.If we perceive the state as a policy tool, it is only natural that the state must have precisely and clearly defined its specific security policy.This represents a multidimensional complex consisting of a set of goals, principles, procedures, and measures of the state to guarantee its security and the security of its citizens.In addition to the traditional defence dimension, it also integrates other dimensions of security, both inwards and outwards vis-à-vis neighbouring states and the international community.The basic mission of security policy is to act on the security environment in order to protect, support, defend, and promote the security interests of the state.After all, the interest of each state lies primarily in the creation of a stable internal situation and a national climate that will allow it to develop normally in all spheres of life of society and the citizens.
The essence and content of the political security of the state thus lies in the possibility of pursuing its independent foreign and internal policy, it lies in the stability of the government and in its ability to solve the problems of the state and its citizens (Hofreiter, 2006, p. 48).The threat to political security can be caused either by the disruption of the organizational stability of the state or by questioning, resp.by not recognizing its external legitimacy, that is, its external recognition as an actor in the international political system (Eichler, 2009, p. 17).
Representatives of the Copenhagen School consider the political dimension of security to be an integral part of all other dimensions because the securitization process takes place precisely through political decision-making.Despite the interconnectedness of all areas, it is also possible in this segment of security to define the basic sources of threat representing potential sources of state vulnerability.Sovereignty, independence, state ideology, the political system and state institutions are the main threats (Buzan -Waever -Wilde, 2005).
Underestimation or insufficient evaluation of the security environment can be reflected in the creation of a security strategy.The security environment and security policy must therefore necessarily interact with each other.On the one hand, this realistically presupposes an immediate response of the security policy to the dynamically changing external and internal environment of state security, and on the other hand, it also requires a revision and the need to amend the security policy.
Thus, the security policy of the state is not only a practical problem, but it is increasingly becoming a theoretical problem that requires an interdisciplinary approach to its study.At present, state security guarantees simply cannot be avoided without thorough scientific analysis.

The economic dimension of security
From time immemorial, the economic dimension of security has been one of the most important tools for influencing the security and well-being of national populations.This fact is also declared by the liberal-idealistic concept within the theory of security, which has always developed the ability of the state to implement security measures depending on economic instruments.As stated by Sabayová (2016) a stable national economy, functioning productive, trade and financial relations, a functioning and efficient national economy form the basis of social and spiritual life, they contribute significantly to the development of the state.As they also significantly determine its security, we can state that the economic dimension is gradually gaining a very broad societal dimension.This includes a wide range of microeconomic, macroeconomic, financial and investment indicators, including factors such as economic growth, competitiveness, raw material adequacy, monetary stability, debt level and other.
The current integration of states into transnational economic groupings represents cooperation of states based on the economic principle.On the other hand, it also brings security guarantees and stabilization because countries that cooperate in the economic field aim to deepen this cooperation and not undermine it through various disputes or conflicts, because their basic goal is to create stability and prosperity.At the same time, their goal is to achieve a level of economic security at which the needs of individuals and society are met within economic relations.
The precondition for ensuring economic security is access to financial resources and investments, access to world markets, developed infrastructure, qualified human resources and integration into regional and global economic structures.Economic security creates the basic prerequisites and conditions for the realization of goals in other security sectors.It is a kind of synonym for the social good, which provides benefits to all members.

The environmental dimension of safety
The environmental safety agenda has not been a direct part of traditional safety approaches in the past.It became a major issue only after the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Environment at the UN Conference on the Environment in Stockholm in 1972.The conference was in the spirit of the motto "There is only one Earth" and marked a significant breakthrough in understanding the impact of the environment on security (Buzan -Waever -Wilde, 1997, p. 81).For the first time, conference participants declared man's right to a favourable environment and proposed a global Earth observation system.At the same time, the conference identified global environmental issues and threats to them through the regions, which were transformed as priorities into the UN Environment Program.
The issue of environmental security has taken on an even more significant dimension thanks to several natural disasters and ecological accidents that have been recorded in the last two decades of the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st century.These events have taken security considerations to date in a whole new direction.Since then, environmental security has been linked to a situation where society and the ecological system interact in a sustainable way.The concept of sustainable development is understood as a targeted, long-term (ongoing), complex and synergistic process that affects conditions and all aspects of life at all levels and that satisfies the biological, material, spiritual and social needs, and interests of people, eliminating or significantly reducing interventions threatening, damaging, or destroying conditions and forms of life, does not burden the country beyond tolerable levels and uses its resources wisely.
Sustainable development in the Slovak Republic is legally defined by § 6 of Act No. 17/1992 Coll. on the environment.According to him, this is "development that preserves the ability of current and future generations to meet their basic living needs without reducing the diversity of nature and preserving the natural functions of ecosystems." Research in this area in recent years has shown that the security and stability of the environmental environment is primarily a matter of transnational cooperation, as they are important aspects of peace, national security and the stability of society.Over the next few decades, there is a real risk of land loss or depletion of natural minerals such as oil, coal and natural gas, which will be used primarily to meet the growing consumption of mankind (Hull -Barbu -Goncharova, 2007, p. 29).
Enough food, but also clean air and especially drinking water are raw materials that will become increasingly scarce in the coming years, based on forecasts of human demographic development, and can therefore cause problems of a fundamental nature in terms of safety.These problems will test the traditional understanding of borders, state security, as local conflict over natural resources can escalate into a regional or even global struggle for ownership of scarce resources.The biggest problems associated with the environmental environment are environmental degradation, in particular the excessive depletion of natural resources and the associated environmental damage and environmental scarcity.

The social (societal) dimension of security
The social (societal3 ) dimension of security is mainly related to group identity, which has been significantly circumvented in the past.It consists of language, history, traditions, customs, culture, religion, etc. as common values with which social groups identify.Therefore, several experts consider identity to be the basis of the survival of any society.
The reference subjects of the social (societal) sector are mainly entities and groups that have a common denominator -identity, they are any small or larger groups that come together based on collective cohesion and loyalty, which they consider endangered and worthy of protection.There are a relatively large number of risk factors in this area that can jeopardize societal security.This includes, for example, not only national groups within the state, but also various transnational groups across several states, such as anti-globalists, neo-fascists or environmentalists, if they think and act as one group.It is precisely association based on national identity that is the greatest threat to the state, as it may lead to the demand for self-determination, which always undermines the territorial integrity of the state, or it may undermine state stability through groups claiming above-standard benefits (Nečas -Ušiak, 2010, p. 89-90).
The state also plays the most important role in this security agenda, through its mechanisms, institutions and means of ensuring social protection.In addition to threats to social identity, it also focuses on the provision of health care to citizens, the provision of social insurance, state social support, social assistance, etc.

The information dimension of security
The information sector is one of the most dynamically developing sectors of human society in the 21st century.The original classical security approaches never took this direction, and the information level of security did not come to the forefront until the early 1990s.Information security must be seen as a comprehensive approach to information protection.It is a multidisciplinary area, a field that includes not only the technological and physical components, but also the legal, administrative, personnel and social components.The reason for the implementation of information security is mainly:  penetrating and influencing all dimensions of security through information and communication technologies,  digitization of society,  method and techniques of data transmission in networks (Brezula, 2018, p. 145).
The development of the Internet and modern computer, information and communication technologies has not only reflected in the private and economic spheres but is also increasingly and more fundamentally affecting the state and public administration of the state, as well as the military and security areas.
The growing penetration of information and communication technologies into all areas of life is associated not only with a positive but also with a negative effect.On the one hand, their rapid development, massive deployment, and use bring higher quality in almost all spheres of society, but at the same time new threats arise and gradually increase not only for individuals, but also for the state and its security.There are more and more criminal and illegal activities in this area.An active attacker has the means to monitor and analyse the behaviour of even a very complex system in the long term; it is very well equipped not only technically but also in terms of knowledge.The more dependent society is on this dimension of security, the more vulnerable its critical infrastructure area is to the threat of cyber attack (Patel, 2018).
Information security breaches can occur at several levels, from eavesdropping and jamming of telecommunications and information network signals, to sabotage of information flows or even cyberterrorism and cyber attacks on public and private computer networks and systems.As these attacks become more and more sophisticated and complicated, information security is becoming an integral part of national and international security.In this context, it is necessary to ensure legal regulation in the field of cyberspace, which will ensure an adequate level of protection of critical infrastructure and basic security areas of the functioning of the state (Valuch, 2019, p. 34).

The energy dimension of security
The energy security sector is one of the most important areas without which the state would not be able to fulfil its basic functions.Energy security is defined as "access to an adequate supply of energy raw materials, in an adequate form and at an adequate price", or as "ensuring a stable, uninterrupted supply of energy in sufficient quantities and at a reasonable price" (Ivančík -Kelemen, 2013, p. 41).
The Copenhagen School originally included this area of security in the economic dimension of security, but development trends in the world prove its validity and significance from the point of view of the sector examined separately.This statement also follows from the fact that it is energy security that is an important indicator of the interdependence of states, and thus of relations between them, which can change significantly in a short period of time.
The main sources of threats in the energy security sector are resource depletion, political instability and manipulation, attacks on resources and infrastructure, industrial accidents or natural disasters, rising energy prices or disruptions in energy supplies.Energy security should therefore be one of the main priorities of every country.It should be based on an efficient supply of energy raw materials, which ensures the development of society, as well as on the stability and diversification of the supply of energy raw materials in order to prevent various disruptions in their supply (Bučka - Nečas -Źechowska, 2012).

CONCLUSION
From the synthesis of the above findings and previous considerations, it follows that security is a complex theoretical-praxeological problem that can be viewed from several angles.Defining security is therefore not at all simple and straightforward.The security is perceived differently by the academic community and differently by an expert from practice.An economist has a different view of security, a politician has a different view and a military, a security and energy expert or ecologist have a different idea of it.One understands it as a state, the other as a manifestation, the third as a result, the fourth as a category and the fifth completely differently.That is why there is currently -and cannot be -no unified and generally accepted uniform definition of security.That is why there is no universal consensus in the opinion or interpretation of this concept.And this is also the reason why it is necessary to distinguish and consider the existence of several dimensions of security (eg military, political, economic, social/societal, environmental, information, energy, etc.), resp.on the existence of several levels of security (individual, group, state, alliance, international, etc.).
Consensus is reached that security can never be absolute, it is always relative and directly proportional to external threats or risks.It cannot be viewed from an extreme position because no entity can achieve absolute assurance of its security.What may be secure at one point may no longer be secure after a change in conditions or circumstances or may become high risk or even dangerous.If a phenomenon or process is secure for one subject, it can be dangerous for another subject.It follows that security is always associated with specificity, that is, with a particular person, collective, thing, with a particular phenomenon or process, with specific conditions, circumstances, phenomena, and relationships, with a specific space and time, and with a particular form and quality.
Whether security is examined from any point of view, whether economic, political, social, military, environmental, information, energy or even existential, whether the problems are solved theoretically or practically, or are solved on an individual or collective level, or local, state, regional, global or Alliance or Union level, one thing is certain.In the historical context, the issue of security has been, is and -given the dynamics, unevenness, instability, uncertainty, and difficult predictability of the further development of human society -will always be highly topical.Therefore, every single contribution dealing with at least a partial solution of problems related to the established security issues needs to be supported and appreciated.
At the end of this study, I would like to believe that in the near future the need for a multidisciplinary approach using theoretical knowledge, scientific methods and methodological procedures from political, economic, security, military, police, legal and other social, natural and technical sciences to study security will increase.The current situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic is immediate evidence of this.