“Institutional Logic”: Critical Analysis of the Direction

The modern social and scientific knowledge as a whole, and institutionalistics in particular, emphasizes two factors that define the direction and configuration of the historic process — ideas and actors. The main theoretical and methodological problem is to determine the character of their connection. This article deals with the problem through the example of constructivist institutionalism, discursive institutionalism and institutional logic. In this article emphasis is placed upon one of the most popular and prospective directions which is institutional logic. Despite the fact that there are a lot of empirical researches on this direction, it is still not fully comprehensible in terms of theory. By means of exploiting the heuristic potential of this direction the author proposes a frame comprehension of institutional logic as semiotic system comprised of concepts which have syntagmatic and pragmatic connection and which are related to functioning of institutions.