Eighteenth Century Ways to Happiness. European and Polish Perspective

The Enlightenment thought concentrated on the issues (from the very beginning rooted in philosophical tradition) concerning the conditions and requirements connected with a happy life of human being. Thinkers of that time more often used to analyse happiness and satisfaction of the groups and communities where the efforts of particular persons would harmonize with common interest. People of the greatest distinction in the Enlightenment period (Montesquieu, Rousseau, Fontenelle, Voltaire, Diderot, Condorcet) used to allow for different aspects and scopes of the problems included in their conceptions. What interesting, they used to include in their reckoning both individual and common dimensions of happiness. Most popular for the 18th century thought was the existential perspective, which located a discussion over happiness among reflections concerning human nature. Also Stanislaw Staszic paid attention to the issue and took into consideration both common and individual point of view.