This chapter is intended to be a critical discussion of the interpretations of human dignity, as well as their changes, relevant for constitutional law in Hungary. The Fundamental Law of Hungary, in force since 1 January 2012, is characterized by a continuation of the previous constitutional situation but also by a departure from it. This is the reason why the analysis covers both the previous Constitution and the related jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court as well as the new Fundamental Law and its interpretation by the Court, in order to give a picture of the situation of human dignity in Hungary. In addition to a mere description, part of the survey will be devoted to the critical assessment of the situation. Thus, readers approaching the problem from a comparative perspective will not only find an overview of the legal text per se (law in books) and its interpretation (law in action) but may also learn about the views of some exponents of Hungarian legal scholarship.

This article explores the historical context surrounding István Bibó, widely regarded as the most important Hungarian political thinker of the 20th century, and his analysis of moral publicity. Bibó’s work, The Ten Commandments of the Freedom-Loving Man, became a key text for intellectuals fighting against the communist regime. This text consists of ten statements reflecting important moral principles, as outlined in The Political Ten Commandments of the Freedom-Loving. Bibó wrote this during the Horthy era as a foundational document for a public initiative involving writers and activists associated with the movement. István Bibó clearly valued the moral principles of political ethics. Despite being banned, his text quickly spread through word of mouth, creating a network of intellectuals who resisted the communist regime’s oppression. Notably, this one-page document has yet to be translated into English. In our study, we trace the origins of this significant anti-communist text, written by Bibó, one of Hungary’s most influential political thinkers of the 20th century. The document presents political and moral propositions that remain timeless and relevant.