Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Individual conscience is often respected even against majority opinion, but it's unclear how much personal conviction alone can justify defying broader social agreement on serious ethical matters. This unresolved tension underlies debates over civil disobedience and moral dissent.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
ethical
personal
majority
moral
don
know
whether
allow
deeply
held
resolved
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Curiosity is generally seen as a virtue, but pursuing knowledge in certain sensitive or dangerous areas raises unresolved questions about whether some questions are better left unexplored. This tension appears in debates over scientific inquiry and forbidden knowledge.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
certain
curiosity
haven
figured
out
possible
justify
treating
forms
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Avoiding conflict often protects short-term comfort, but it can also mean neglecting necessary accountability or truth-telling that genuinely matters. This unresolved tension shapes everyday decisions in both personal relationships and public life.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
personal
comfort
avoiding
but
necessary
don
know
whether
ethical
allow
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Concern about lasting impact or how one will be remembered can sometimes come at the expense of enjoying and prioritizing present-day happiness. This unresolved tension shapes how people balance long-term purpose with everyday contentment.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
present-day
don
know
whether
ethical
allow
pursuit
legacy
outweigh
genuine
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Competitive and cooperative instincts can pull people in opposite directions, and it's unclear whether a person or system can genuinely embody both without one undermining the other. This unresolved tension appears throughout economics, sports, and interpersonal relationships.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
whether
haven
figured
out
possible
justify
treating
certain
forms
competitiveness
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Life circumstances can change dramatically after a promise is made, and it's unclear how much this changed context should affect the moral weight of the original commitment. This unresolved tension appears in debates over long-term personal and professional commitments.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
made
life
circumstances
don
have
resolved
way
determine
whether
fair
know
haven
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Being emotionally available to others is often seen as a virtue, but constant availability can come at a real cost to a person's own wellbeing and boundaries. This unresolved tension shapes debates over compassion fatigue and the limits of caregiving.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
emotionally
available
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
fair
expect
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Seeking validation from others is a natural human tendency, but it's unclear how much this desire compromises the authenticity of the values and choices it influences. This unresolved tension touches on both personal psychology and the philosophy of authentic living.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
desire
validation
personal
values
choices
don
know
whether
ethical
allow
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
History shows repeated cycles of cruelty and progress alike, and it's unclear whether continued faith in humanity's improvement is genuinely rational or simply a comforting bias. This unresolved tension shapes broader philosophical debates about optimism and historical judgment.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
humanity
repeated
historical
don
have
resolved
way
determine
fair
know
haven
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Philosophers have proposed countless theories of meaning, from pleasure to purpose to relationships, but no single account has settled the question. This affects how people choose to live and what they consider worth pursuing.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
don
widely
accepted
answer
makes
life
meaningful
philosophers
proposed
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
way
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If every event is caused by prior physical states, it's unclear how genuine choice could exist in the way we intuitively believe it does. This tension underlies debates about moral responsibility, punishment, and praise.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
physical
haven
resolved
whether
free
will
compatible
universe
governed
laws
know
determine
mathematics-logic
possible
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Various criteria like intelligence, capacity to suffer, or self-awareness have been proposed to justify different treatment, but none commands universal agreement. This unresolved question shapes debates over animal rights and factory farming.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
don
settled
way
determine
anything
gives
humans
greater
moral
whether
resolved
agreed
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Decisions about climate change, resource use, and debt all require some answer to how much weight future, non-existent people deserve compared to those who exist now. Philosophers disagree sharply on this tradeoff.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
climate-change
future
people
haven
figured
out
weigh
interests
generations
against
needs
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If moral truths exist independently of human opinion, our task is to discover them; if not, morality may be more like a shared convention. This unresolved question underlies most ethical disagreements about right and wrong.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
morality
human
don
know
whether
objective
simply
construct
moral
truths
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Various theories of justice suggest different principles, from strict equality to rewarding merit to prioritizing the worst-off, but no consensus exists on which approach is actually fair. This disagreement fuels ongoing political and economic conflict.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
haven
solved
justly
distribute
resources
world
vast
inequality
various
theories
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Civil disobedience has a long history, but philosophers still debate exactly what conditions make lawbreaking morally justified rather than simply self-serving. This question remains central to movements for social change.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
have
agreed-upon
way
determine
ethical
break
unjust
law
civil
whether
resolved
agreed
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Different criteria, such as consciousness, potential, or biological humanity, lead to very different conclusions about when personhood begins or ends. This unresolved question sits at the center of major bioethical debates.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
personhood
don
know
define
way
resolves
hard
edge
cases
like
whether
resolved
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some philosophers argue honesty is an absolute duty, while others believe consequences justify occasional deception, particularly to prevent harm. Real situations in medicine and relationships constantly test where this line actually falls.
health-biology
global-unspecified
haven
figured
out
whether
ever
morally
permissible
lie
someone
own
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some ethical theories suggest we're obligated to give up significant comfort to help distant strangers, while common intuition treats this as admirable but optional. Reconciling these views remains an unresolved challenge in ethics.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
have
clear
answer
personal
sacrifice
morality
actually
requires
some
whether
resolved
determine
know
haven
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Retributive theories argue wrongdoers deserve punishment regardless of outcomes, while consequentialist views justify it only if it produces better results. This unresolved disagreement shapes debates over criminal justice reform.
society-governance
global-unspecified
punishment
only
don
know
ever
truly
justified
useful
deterrent
retributive
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
