From Polycrisis to Metacrisis: a short introduction

The authors explore the relationship between polycrisis and metacrisis, proposing a three-layer logic model to explain their connection. While polycrisis refers to the entanglement of interconnected global crises that intensify one another, metacrisis points to the foundational conditions that generate these crises. Just as symptoms indicate an underlying illness, polycrisis is seen as a manifestation of a deeper metacrisis rooted in the civilizational worldview of modernity, which is characterized by reductionism, materialism, individualism, and a perceived separation between humans and nature. Although the reality of polycrisis is increasingly acknowledged, the underlying metacrisis remains less visible. The report emphasizes that addressing today’s global challenges requires not only systemic interventions but also a fundamental transformation in worldview, values, and collective ways of being.