The Problem with Problem Solving

Abstract

Little has been written about the ontological nature of problems and problem solving in interdisciplinary studies, and yet problem solving is one of the central features of interdisciplinary theory and practice. This essay begins a discussion of how we might think about problems and how to solve them. Consideration is given to the objective, subjective, and constructed nature of problems, to Foucault's critique of problematization, Certeau's notion of everyday practices, and Deleuze's approach to problems, which involves the event. The problem with problem solving is its tendency not to wonder about what problem solving is, or what it might become if we just think about it.