What makes life good, and how could it be better? Annette Hug, Catherine Lovey, Martin R. Dean, and Michel Mettler explore these questions from different perspectives. With their searching answers, they critically examine our times. The driving force for a better life is our individual desire, but what can it achieve when societal conditions contradict it? The four essays investigate the tension between personal well-being and political-economic prerequisites. They reflect on the history of our hopes while also articulating expectations for the future. The series "essais agités. Edition on Questions of the Time," initiated by the Literature Foundation Association, nurtures the critical essay. It engages in current discourses, uncovers hidden themes, and introduces surprising ideas into the world.