We haven't resolved whether free will is compatible with a universe governed by physical laws.
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.
physical
haven
resolved
whether
free
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01054
Title: We haven't resolved whether free will is compatible with a universe governed by physical laws.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1054
We don't have a settled way to determine what, if anything, gives humans greater moral worth than animals.
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.
settled
determine
what
anything
gives
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01055
Title: We don't have a settled way to determine what, if anything, gives humans greater moral worth than animals.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1055
We haven't figured out how to weigh the interests of future generations against the needs of people alive today.
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.
future
people
haven
figured
out
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01056
Title: We haven't figured out how to weigh the interests of future generations against the needs of people alive today.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1056
We still don't know whether morality is objective or simply a human construct.
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.
morality
human
know
whether
objective
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01057
Title: We still don't know whether morality is objective or simply a human construct.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1057
We haven't solved how to justly distribute resources in a world of vast inequality.
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.
haven
solved
justly
distribute
resources
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01058
Title: We haven't solved how to justly distribute resources in a world of vast inequality.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1058
We don't have an agreed-upon way to determine when it's ethical to break an unjust law.
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.
agreed
upon
determine
when
ethical
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01059
Title: We don't have an agreed-upon way to determine when it's ethical to break an unjust law.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1059
We haven't resolved what obligations, if any, wealthy nations owe to poorer ones.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Arguments range from strong duties rooted in historical exploitation to minimal or no obligation at all, and no framework has achieved broad philosophical agreement. This unresolved debate shapes real policy on aid and development.
haven
resolved
what
obligations
any
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01060
Title: We haven't resolved what obligations, if any, wealthy nations owe to poorer ones.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1060
We still don't know how to define personhood in a way that resolves hard edge cases like early pregnancy or severe brain injury.
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.
personhood
know
define
resolves
hard
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01061
Title: We still don't know how to define personhood in a way that resolves hard edge cases like early pregnancy or severe brain injury.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1061
We haven't figured out whether it's ever morally permissible to lie for someone's own good.
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.
haven
figured
out
whether
ever
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01062
Title: We haven't figured out whether it's ever morally permissible to lie for someone's own good.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1062
We don't have a clear answer for how much personal sacrifice morality actually requires of us.
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.
clear
answer
much
personal
sacrifice
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01063
Title: We don't have a clear answer for how much personal sacrifice morality actually requires of us.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1063
We still don't know if punishment is ever truly justified, or only useful as a deterrent.
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.
punishment
only
know
ever
truly
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01064
Title: We still don't know if punishment is ever truly justified, or only useful as a deterrent.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1064
We haven't resolved whether it's possible to have genuine knowledge of anything beyond our own mind.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Skeptical arguments suggest we can never be fully certain the external world matches our perceptions of it, and no response has fully silenced this doubt. This ancient problem remains foundational to epistemology.
our
haven
resolved
whether
possible
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01065
Title: We haven't resolved whether it's possible to have genuine knowledge of anything beyond our own mind.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1065
We don't have an agreed way to determine whether an action is wrong because of its consequences or its inherent nature.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Consequentialist and deontological ethics offer fundamentally different answers, and thought experiments pitting them against each other rarely produce consensus. This tension underlies many real-world moral dilemmas.
its
agreed
determine
whether
action
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01066
Title: We don't have an agreed way to determine whether an action is wrong because of its consequences or its inherent nature.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1066
We still don't know how to justify our obligations to people we'll never meet or interact with.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Common moral intuition treats strangers as owed some consideration, but the philosophical basis for this duty, especially toward those far away, remains contested. This affects debates about charity, foreign aid, and global responsibility.
know
justify
our
obligations
people
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01067
Title: We still don't know how to justify our obligations to people we'll never meet or interact with.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1067
We haven't figured out whether beauty and aesthetic value are objective or entirely dependent on the observer.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If aesthetic judgments are purely subjective, calling any art objectively better than another becomes philosophically difficult to defend. Yet most people act as though some works are genuinely superior, not just differently liked.
aesthetic
haven
figured
out
whether
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01068
Title: We haven't figured out whether beauty and aesthetic value are objective or entirely dependent on the observer.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1068
We don't have a resolved answer to whether it's ethical to bring new people into existence given the certainty of future suffering.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some philosophers argue that creating new life is never straightforwardly good given the guaranteed hardships of existence, while most people reject this conclusion intuitively. This unresolved tension underlies debates in population ethics.
new
people
existence
given
resolved
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01069
Title: We don't have a resolved answer to whether it's ethical to bring new people into existence given the certainty of future suffering.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1069
We still don't know what makes someone the same person over time despite constant physical and psychological change.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
From childhood to old age, nearly everything about a person changes, yet we treat them as a single continuous identity, and no philosophical account of why has settled the matter. This affects questions about responsibility for past actions.
person
know
what
makes
someone
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01070
Title: We still don't know what makes someone the same person over time despite constant physical and psychological change.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1070
We haven't resolved whether humans have a duty to prevent suffering they didn't directly cause.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some argue that failing to prevent harm when you're capable is morally equivalent to causing it, while others maintain a meaningful distinction between action and inaction. This unresolved question shapes debates over charitable obligation.
prevent
haven
resolved
whether
humans
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01071
Title: We haven't resolved whether humans have a duty to prevent suffering they didn't directly cause.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1071
We don't have an agreed-upon way to determine whether nonhuman animals can hold genuine rights.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rights are typically grounded in things like rational agency or the ability to make claims, criteria animals may not meet, yet many people believe animals deserve protection regardless. Settling this remains an unresolved ethical challenge.
animals
rights
agreed
upon
determine
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01072
Title: We don't have an agreed-upon way to determine whether nonhuman animals can hold genuine rights.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1072
We still don't know whether consciousness can exist in something that isn't biological.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If advanced artificial systems could one day be conscious, we'd face serious ethical obligations toward them, but we lack any reliable test for detecting genuine inner experience. This uncertainty already complicates debates about AI rights and welfare.
know
whether
consciousness
exist
something
philosophy-ethics
Citation ID: WS01073
Title: We still don't know whether consciousness can exist in something that isn't biological.
URL: https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1073
