The new millennium is more than ever characterized by the concept of crisis. In Europe and the USA, one financial crisis seems to follow another, and the austerity packages that are subsequently implemented mostly affect low and very low earners. The rich and powerful, not least the multinational corporations and banks, whose greed is a significant cause of the crisis, often remain unscathed. This persistence in lack of insight is indicative of a deep crisis of meaning that has affected large parts of the modern world. It manifests itself in an unconditional pursuit of growth, a blind trust in the inexhaustibility of natural resources, and a calculating disregard for people and the environment. This work aims to present the modern crisis of meaning in all its facets, illuminate its causes and symptoms, and critically examine proposed solutions that aim for a transition from the current growth paradigm to a future sustainability paradigm, where the factors of humanity and the environment once again become the focus of thought and aspiration.