Justice and Equality Interpreted by the Leaders of Polish Enlightenment

Abstract

The article recalls Polish Enlightenment leaders ideas on justice and equality. During Enlightenment period this issue was undoubtedly emphasized, which was reflected by essential increase in the number of utterances concerning justice and particularly the equality, but also in reveling the complexity and maturity of its interpretations and analyses. We commence the survey of aforementioned topics with the statements of Stanisław Leszczyński in which the pro enlightenment ideas were present, subsequently, we present the ideas of philisophiae recentiorum representants, namely: Stanisław H. Konarski, Antoni Wiśniewski, Józef Skrzetuski, whereas the mature period of the Enlightenment is represented here by its leaders such as Stanisław Popławski, Franciszek S. Jezierski, Hugo Kołłątaj, Hieronim
Stroynowski (Strojnowski), Stanisław W. Staszic.

The set of ideas of the aforementioned thinkers proves that the issues of justice and equality raised a vivid interest among the contemporary intellectual elite which spoke on this subject with competence, engagement and expertness. Consequently, its importance significantly surpassed the epoch in which they were born.