The search for scientific bases for confronting problems of social policy is bound to fail, becuase of the nature of these problems. They are ``wicked'' problems, whereas science has developed to deal with ``tame'' problems. Policy problems cannot be definitively described. Moreover, in a pluralistic society there is nothing like the undisputable public good; there is no objective definition of equity; policies that respond to social problems cannot be meaningfully correct or false; and it makes no sense to talk about ``optimal solutions'' to social problems unless severe qualifications are imposed first. Even worse, there are no ``solutions'' in the sense of definitive and objective answers.
%0 Journal Article
%1 rittel1973dilemmas
%A Rittel, Horst W. J.
%A Webber, Melvin M.
%D 1973
%J Policy Sciences
%K issue methodology science theory wicked
%N 2
%P 155--169
%R 10.1007/BF01405730
%T Dilemmas in a general theory of planning
%U https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01405730
%V 4
%X The search for scientific bases for confronting problems of social policy is bound to fail, becuase of the nature of these problems. They are ``wicked'' problems, whereas science has developed to deal with ``tame'' problems. Policy problems cannot be definitively described. Moreover, in a pluralistic society there is nothing like the undisputable public good; there is no objective definition of equity; policies that respond to social problems cannot be meaningfully correct or false; and it makes no sense to talk about ``optimal solutions'' to social problems unless severe qualifications are imposed first. Even worse, there are no ``solutions'' in the sense of definitive and objective answers.
@article{rittel1973dilemmas,
abstract = {The search for scientific bases for confronting problems of social policy is bound to fail, becuase of the nature of these problems. They are ``wicked'' problems, whereas science has developed to deal with ``tame'' problems. Policy problems cannot be definitively described. Moreover, in a pluralistic society there is nothing like the undisputable public good; there is no objective definition of equity; policies that respond to social problems cannot be meaningfully correct or false; and it makes no sense to talk about ``optimal solutions'' to social problems unless severe qualifications are imposed first. Even worse, there are no ``solutions'' in the sense of definitive and objective answers.},
added-at = {2024-10-04T23:09:09.000+0200},
author = {Rittel, Horst W. J. and Webber, Melvin M.},
biburl = {https://puma.ub.uni-stuttgart.de/bibtex/27a6742393564b8affc46cd14b4b8cfd4/droessler},
day = 01,
doi = {10.1007/BF01405730},
interhash = {7b696318f786d80aa6a2e08bce046b48},
intrahash = {7a6742393564b8affc46cd14b4b8cfd4},
issn = {1573-0891},
journal = {Policy Sciences},
keywords = {issue methodology science theory wicked},
month = jun,
number = 2,
pages = {155--169},
timestamp = {2024-10-04T23:10:53.000+0200},
title = {Dilemmas in a general theory of planning},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01405730},
volume = 4,
year = 1973
}
