Peter Berger's Perspective on the Crisis of the Meaning of Life in Modern Societies

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Mohammad Esmailzadeh 1
Hamed HajiHeidari 2
1 Ph. D. Candidate in Cultural Sociology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.30497/prr.2026.247371.1964
Abstract
The modern era has bestowed many gifts upon humanity, but with regard to the meaning of life, this optimism is questionable, and many sociologists have acknowledged the contrary. This article specifically examines Peter Berger's perspective on the crisis of the meaning of life in modern societies. The research method employed is interpretative textualism, inspired by John Plamenatz. The main findings of this study indicate that Berger's perspective on the crisis of meaning in modern societies evolves through three distinct phases, with his third view demonstrating greater coherence and comprehensiveness than his first two. Based on the formulation derived from his perspective, he initially identified secularization, and subsequently pluralization, as the cause of the crisis of meaning in modern societies. In his third view, he integrated his first perspective with the second, arguing that within a context of secularization, the pluralization of thought becomes possible, and the crisis of meaning in modern societies is explained by such conditions.
Keywords
Peter Berger
the crisis of the meaning of life
secularization
pluralization
Subjects
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