Summary

The program “Free and Social” as a legal structural change has taken about 200 years. There is a stiff competition between at least two fundamental normative concepts. In the author’s opinion, free and social combine well together and their greatest value consists in their interaction. The point of departure of the article is an individual and his or her life together with other persons. As the adjectives “free” and “social” express this relation better than the abstract concepts of freedom, socialism or socialness, the evolution of the free and social are examined at different historical stages. First, the author looks at programs originating before the 19th century, their gradual implementation in the 19th century (primarily drawing on the example of labour law) and their alleged failure at the end of the 19th century. Then, the author examines the welfare miracle in the 1950s and its effect. Finally, the author evaluates the historical experiences dealt with and seeks to answer the question whether the program “Free and Social” has really failed or not.