UDC 330.811.1; JEL Classification: B1The social economy (SE) is attracting the growing interest of economists and sociologists, as it has always been and will be a real economy. But there are still various interpretations of its most important aspects. The lack of a unified, accurate, true understanding of SE reduces the effectiveness of economic, social and socio-economic practices. Therefore, the definition of the most important aspects of SE is an urgent problem. Analysis of recent studies and publications has shown that the SE was already known in the learnings of Xenophon, Platon, Aristotel, and later − in the writings of Smith, Riccardo, mercantilists and physiocrats, their modern opponents and followers. Among the unresolved aspects of the aforementioned problem, there are two of the most important, key ones, around which particularly heated discussions are raging: the general aspect, as a justification for the nature of the link between social and economic in general at various stages of the development of the SE; specific aspect, as determining the nature of the interaction of four specific and major socio-economic institutions (state, enterprise, market and person). According to the author’s opinion, it is in such a sequence that it is necessary to solve these two aspects of the problem of interpretation of the most important aspects of the SE. The purpose of the article is to solve the general aspect of the problem as justification, establishing the nature of social and economic connection at different stages of development, becoming of SE. This is actually the development of the SE paradigms. Objectives: to establish the nature of the connection between social and economic in the Pre-industrial era; establishing the nature of the connection between social and economic in the Industrial era; establishing the nature of the connection between social and economic in the Post-industrial era; formulating the SE paradigms of Pre-industrial, Industrial and Post-industrial society; summarizing the results. Methodology of research: review of literary sources, 2C70, VEO, historical-logical, induction-deduction, theory of the Babailov’s method. Findings: introduced and substantiated a new term and concept «Optimality of the social economy» (OSE); the definition of the OSE as a ratio of social and economic, which provides the maximum possible satisfaction of the needs of members of all, any societies; the Basic Law of the SE is formulated: «SE is the interaction of social and economic», and on its basis three SE paradigms are substantiated; the first (past) paradigm (SE) is a global strategy of a predominantly social nature; the second (present) paradigm of SE is a global strategy of a predominantly economic nature; the third (future) paradigm of SE is a global strategy for the optimization of SE. Originality: at the first time SE paradigms were developed. Practical value: The SE paradigms are the most important means of enhancing the effectiveness of the strategic planning practice in any enterprise.