Critique and Humanism Journal was founded in 1990 as the first independent academic periodical edition in Bulgaria. Since its establishment, the journal has been published by the Society for the Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge “Critique and Humanism” (1990–2002) which was renamed and re-registered in 2002 as the Human and Social Studies Foundation – Sofia (HSSF).

The founder and first Editor-in-Chief of the journal is Deyan Deyanov. He led the journal from 1990, when its first issue was published, until the end of 1999. In this period, a total of 6 regular (books 1–6) and 2 special foreign-language issues were published.
In the first editorial board under the leadership of Deyanov – in different years – were Valentin Dishev, Zhivko Georgiev, Petar Goranov, Dimitar Zashev, Kolyo Koev, Svetoslav Slavov, Lyuben Kozarev, Dimitrina Petrova, Andrey Raichev, Ivan Krastev, Andrey Bundzulov, Nina Nikolova, Svetlana Sabeva, Ivan Chalakov, Emil Grigorov, Dimitar Vatsov, Ivaylo Dicthev, and Antoaneta Koleva.

From 2000 to 2022, the Editor-in-Chief of the journal was Dimitar Vatsov. In this period, the journal began to be published regularly with two regular and additional special issues in English. 50 volumes were published (vol. 8–57). The members of the second editorial board under the leadership of Vatsov in different years were Nina Nikolova, Svetlana Sabeva, Emil Grigorov, Antoaneta Koleva, Kolyo Koev, Dimitar Denkov, Boyan Znepolski, Miroslava Genkova, Milena Yakimova, Martin Kanoushev, Blagovest Zlatanov, Boyan Manchev, Lea Vaysova, Snezhanka Mihaylova, Hristo Gyoshev, Tom Junes, Mila Mineva, Vanya Serafimova, Elitsa Stanoeva, Albena Hranova, and Veronika Dimitrova.

From 2023, Editor-in-Chief of the journal is Veronika Dimitrova. All volumes of the journal from vol. 58 onwards are published under her supervision. Members of the new third editorial board are Bogdana Paskaleva, Simeon Kyurkchiev and Maria Martinova.