The ^^Problem^ of the Schools

Whenever m u c h e f f o r t has been e x p e n d e d i n t r y i n g t o solve a p r o b l e m , and no s o l u t i o n has been f o u n d , i t o f t e n t u r n s o u t t h a t t h e p r o b l e m was indeed unsolvable—as i t was s t a t e d . I n t h e statem e n t o f every p r o b l e m , t h e r e ex is t i m p l i c i t as w e l l as e x p l i c i t e lements . F o r e x a m p l e , w h e n t h e p r o b l e m o f t h e G o r d i a n K n o t was p r o p o s e d t o A l e x a n d e r , one o f t h e p r o b l e m ' s unsta ted e lements was " U n t i e t h e k n o t ; d o n ' t j u s t c u t i t w i t h y o u r s w o r d . " A l e x a n d e r replaced t h e p r o b l e m he had been g iven w i t h o n e t h a t he c o u l d solve. P r o b l e m s t h a t seem unsolvable o f t e n y i e l d t o s o l u t i o n s e n t a i l i n g a r e f o r m u l a t i o n o f t h e p r o b l e m . Such r e f o r m u l a t i o n m a y i n v o l v e t h e r e p l a c e m e n t o f t h e p r o b l e m w i t h a new o n e , o r m o d i f i c a t i o n o f t h e g r o u n d rules .