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
Meaningful change and growth sometimes require difficult decisions that inevitably affect others, and it's unclear how much personal development can reasonably justify this collateral impact. This unresolved tension shapes decisions about relationships, careers, and major life changes.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
personal
growth
require
don
know
whether
ethical
allow
causing
some
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Living authentically sometimes requires choices that disappoint or hurt people who relied on a different version of us, and it's unclear how much this justifies the resulting harm. This unresolved tension shapes major personal decisions throughout adult life.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
personal
don
know
whether
ethical
allow
pursuit
authenticity
justify
hurting
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
know
justify
our
obligations
people
never
meet
interact
common
whether
resolved
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
ethical
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.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
aesthetic
haven
figured
out
whether
beauty
value
objective
entirely
dependent
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
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.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
person
don
know
makes
someone
same
over
time
despite
constant
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
haven
agreed
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.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
know
whether
consciousness
exist
something
isn
biological
advanced
artificial
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some argue that a painless death still deprives an animal of a future it would have otherwise had, while others see humane treatment as sufficient justification. This unresolved debate shapes ongoing arguments about ethical food choices.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
death
haven
resolved
whether
morally
acceptable
eat
animals
treated
humanely
know
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
We tend to believe humanity has become more moral over time, abolishing slavery and expanding rights, but philosophers debate whether this represents real progress or just changing preferences. Settling this affects how confident we can be about future ethical judgments.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
moral
progress
ethical
don
know
genuinely
possible
views
simply
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Utilitarian arguments often justify this tradeoff by pointing to lives saved, while animal rights perspectives reject using sentient beings purely as means to human ends. This unresolved tension remains central to biomedical ethics.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
human
lives
haven
figured
out
whether
ethical
animals
scientific
research
resolved
know
determine
mathematics-logic
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many ethical frameworks tie moral status to rationality or self-awareness, which complicates how we justify the strong obligations most people feel toward those without these capacities. This unresolved gap remains ethically significant.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
obligations
people
don
have
agreed
way
determine
owe
severe
cognitive
whether
resolved
haven
