Sustainability is a multi-facet concept. Over one hundred different definitions have been suggested. Whether these definitions clearly define the holistic picture of the “environment and development” issue, or whether they are just defined for particular perspectives is worth exploring. The main purpose of this paper, therefore, is to reflect on the different perspectives of sustainable development (SD) and to clarify the genuine context of SD. This paper explores general concepts regarding SD from the limit to growth and sustainability context based on literature and historical review. Different perspectives from both the North and the South are examined to explore the constraints and conflicts of conventional SD. From the analysis of sustainability, this paper re-establishes a cognitive structure of SD. Based on the framework, four sustainability conditions are proposed to help achieve the vision of SD.