The article examines the historical and legal context of scientific substantiation of the human right to security. The research is based on the classical legal scholarly works of Plato, Aristotle, John Locke, Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Niccolo Machiavelli, and other prominent lawyers and philosophers. The article also examines the current position of domestic lawyers, such as: O.B. Bondar, V.P. Vaskovska, Yu. Lutsenko,
 V.O. Melnyk, A.H. Stepaniuk, D.O. Tikhomirov, I.S. Yakovets and others. The purpose of the article is to analyze the phenomenon of security and, in particular, the human right to security at the stages of development of human civilization and to express its content; to summarize and explain the options for different interpretations of the category «security» in historical and legal thought. The methodology was based on a comparative approach using the epistemological, historical method, methods of analysis and abstraction. During the study, it was found that humanity and individuals are constantly striving to understand and implement security concepts. The main stages of the development of the understanding of the notion and concept of security were identified: the first was the ancient period - during which security had a mythological basis and color and was associated with the existence of belief in the concept of magic; the next was the Middle Ages - during which security was viewed through the prism of divine existence; the next period was the Renaissance, in which security was the subject of research regardless of the spiritual and mythological concept, but was not considered in the context of security for all, but its class-unequal character remains; the New Era comes with the realization of one’s right to respect for one’s honor and dignity, equality, and the elevation of human life to the pedestal of life’s values. An analysis of the stages of development of human civilization has led to the conclusion that regardless of the level of development of humanity, the peculiarities of its existence in different periods and socio-economic formations, the desire to achieve the maximum level of security in the life of an individual, the state and society remains unchanged.