The common good in Polish constitutionalism and tradition

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of the common good (bonum commune) as the foundation of the Polish political system. The author traces the evolution of this concept, from the tradition of the 3 May Constitution, through the authoritarian tendencies of the April Act, to the contemporary interpretation of Article 1 of the Polish Constitution. The text confronts the classic natural law approach, in which the common good legitimizes public authority, with the assumptions of legal positivism. A key element of the discussion is the relationship between the public interest and human dignity, which in modern constitutionalism constitutes an inviolable fundamental norm. The reader will find here an explanation of disputes over the axiology of the state and understand why the common good is not merely a rhetorical phrase, but a real measure of just law and the integral development of the political community.