傳統的世界觀是一種目的論世界觀，世界被視為一個充滿意義的體系，自我的人生意義體現為對宇宙秩序的沉思，以及對承擔的角色的踐履上。現代性將自我設定為自我意識、自我決定和自我實現的存在者。自我不再從宇宙秩序中尋求人生意義的根據，相反，自我成為人生意義的立法者。同時，失去外在約束的自我將人生的意義等同於物質欲望的滿足，理性由此不再表現為對至高目的的冥想和善的踐履，它成為了一種工具性的東西，人生的意義成為了運用工具理性最大程度滿足人的欲望的過程。當工具理性遠離價值理性，手段壓制目的，財富的追求剝奪了宗教和倫理含義時，就只剩下赤裸裸的欲望，最終導致意義感的喪失。追尋人生的意義在今天顯得十分迫切。

The traditional world outlook is that of teleology, in the view of which the world is full of meanings and the self can experience the meaning of his life by contemplating the orderly universe and practicing his given role in it. In the context of modernity, the self is regarded as a being of self-consciousness, self-determination and self-realization. The self tends to seek the meaning of life within itself, not outside in the cosmic order. At the same time, having been liberated from the exterior restriction, the self begins to regard the meaning of life as satisfying its material desire. The value reason characterized by contemplating the maximal purpose and practicing the good is being replaced by the instrumental reason, whose sole purpose is to satisfy the material desires as much as possible. When there is nothing left except the pure desire, befalls the nihility, which will invoke anew a strong plea for the meaning of life.