We love solutions. We love the idea that every problem—no matter how complex—has an answer, waiting to be uncovered by the right logic, the right technology, or the right expertise. This belief is the foundation of what I call solutionism—the idea that with enough rationality, enough data, and enough computing power, we can solve anything.
But here’s the problem with solutionism: it’s an illusion.
The Limits of Rationality
Solutionism assumes that every problem is decidable—that is, solvable in a clear, systematic way. But this assumption comes from a bias: we only recognize problems that we can solve. The truly unsolvable ones? They don’t even appear on our radar, because we don’t know how to frame them in a way that makes sense.
Take mathematics: Gödel’s incompleteness theorem showed that even in a rigid system of logic, there are always truths that cannot be proven within the system itself. Turing proved that some problems—like the Halting Problem—have no algorithmic solution at all. These aren’t just gaps in our knowledge; they are limits to what can be known or solved.
The Real World is Not a Math Problem
But solutionism isn’t just a mathematical mistake—it’s a philosophical one. It assumes the world is structured in a way that aligns with our ability to understand it. That’s not how reality works.
Most real-world problems—**political conflicts, ethical dilemmas, social inequalities, cybersecurity risks—**don’t have neat, finite solutions. They aren’t just complicated (which means they can be broken down into parts); they’re complex, meaning they evolve, interact, and resist easy answers. You can’t “solve” human nature. You can’t write an algorithm to produce world peace.
The Dangers of Solutionism
Believing that every problem has a solution leads to dangerous consequences:
- Oversimplification: We reduce deep, human problems to technical challenges (e.g., “Fake news? Just fix the algorithm!”).
- Overconfidence: We assume that more data or better AI will inevitably lead to breakthroughs, ignoring problems that aren’t computational in nature.
- Misplaced effort: We focus on what can be solved instead of what matters most. Some problems require wisdom, judgment, and trade-offs—not a technical “fix.”
Embracing Uncertainty
The world isn’t built for us to figure out. That doesn’t mean we should stop trying to solve problems, but it does mean we should approach them with humility. Some problems have no single answer. Some don’t have an answer at all. The challenge is to recognize the difference—and to stop pretending that every mystery is just an equation waiting to be solved.
