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The article deals with resonance, development, and changes in various forms of atheism in the works of Czech, especially Marxist, intellectuals in the second half of the 20th century. Attention is also paid to their influence on public opinion, especially in connection with a rise in negative attitude of a large part of the Czech public towards religion. The study is based primarily on historical and discursive analyses of the works of principal authors from the 1950s to 1989. Among the authors discussed are important figures such as Ivan Sviták, Milan Machovec, and Vítězslav Gardavský.

The historicity of the Constitution of the Fifth French Republic has a special dimension. In the preamble and in the articles of the first Chapter, reference is made to the heritage of the French Revolution and identification with its principles is emphasised. We are therefore dealing with a case of the Constitution that explicitly refers not to the entire historical heritage of France but to an exceptional moment in its history. This reference has a very real meaning because the legacy of the French Revolution affects the constitutional reality of today's France. This applies in particular to the specially conceive d idea of the sovereignty of the nation, the principles of indivisibility and the secularity of the Republic. At the same time, under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, there has been an interpretation of the legacy of the Revolution in terms that are critical of the Jacobin tradition, which allowed for a broad consensus on it. On the other hand, it can be argued that the Constitution is not fully representative in the dimension of history, as the legacy of pre-revolutionary France occupies a vital place in public education and in the politics of memory.

When the Constitutional Council was established in 1958, it was described as a political and judicial body. Since then, its powers and systemic importance have increased rapidly. However, the political-judicial nature of the Council has not changed. The Council's political character is expressed in its domination by individuals belonging to the political elite and high government officials. Undoubtedly, the persistent distrust in the French republican tradition of entrusting judges with control decisions of vital importance to the state is significant. In addition, the well-thought-out mechanism of appointing its members promotes the independence and legitimacy of this institution. It is also necessary to point out the symbiosis of the political and bureaucratic elites in France and the still-held view that it is responsible for decisions of crucial importance to the state and citizens.