To Design or Not to Design (Part Two): The There Is a Problem with the Word 'Problem;' How Unique Vocabulary Is Essential to Conceptual Planning

Abstract

FM5-0 Chapter 3 Design discusses a critical component to conceptual planning and phrases it with "solving the right problem." 2 However, military doctrine and institutional culture already employ the word problem for an entirely different and valid reason. Should one ask any tactical-level member of a military unit what their understanding of the word problem is in a military setting, the majority will explain to you that a problem is "something one solves." 3 The existing word meaning uses a short-term or tactical perspective that is divorced from the larger context in which design theory provides understanding on metaphysical processes. These processes exceed the artificial boundaries imposed by the military institution's valid definition of a tactical problem; the perspectives do not match.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 11, 2011
Accession Number
ADA546330

Entities

People

  • Ben Zweibelson

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Air Force
  • Army Training
  • Civil War
  • Complex Systems
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Language
  • Military Doctrine
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Planning
  • Military Science
  • Students
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Systems Analysis and Design