Identity And The Paradox About The Ship Of Theseus

We tend to believe that our identity is unique, that we are born with it, and that it will always be the same. But in reality, our identity is more fragile than that. The paradox of Theseus’ ship is a good example to help us better understand this idea. This paradox goes something like this: “During boat trips, the wooden planks broke or rotted, so they had to be replaced. When Theseus returned home, the ship docked at the port did not have a single one of its original components. Nevertheless, the crew did not doubt for a second that it was the same boat “.

The ship of Theseus is a paradox for replacement. If an object’s components are replaced, is it still the same object? We can also use this paradox for people. Are we still the same even if our physical appearance changes? What if our personality actually changes?

The ship of Theseus and identity

According to Greek legend , Theseus was the founder of Athens. Other legends claim that he was Poseidon himself. One of Theseus’ stories says that he took a boat trip from Crete to Athens. The boat was now 300 years old, which explains why many of the components had to be replaced. After a complete restoration, the boat no longer resembled the original. The new ship had none of its original components.

If a boat with 30 oars gets one oar replaced, is it still the same boat? What if 15 oars were replaced instead? What if every oar was replaced? Now, what if 30 planks instead of oars were replaced? What if every single plank was replaced? The main problem here is that it is very difficult to know exactly where one thing becomes another.

The ship of Theseus in philosophy

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes dived deeper into this paradox. He suggested that all the wood that was replaced on the boat be saved to make a new ship. Taken from this story, Hobbes asked the following question: Which of the two ships is Theseus’ actual ship? You can say that the original is. But that was not what Theseus meant. He believed that his ship was restored, not replaced.

As mentioned above, this paradox also applies to identity. Do we have a stable identity, or can it be changed? Philosopher Heraclitus came with a very famous statement relating to this: “No man pedaling in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man” . This quote makes us all wonder if our identity changes when we change something about ourselves.

Changes in identity

This paradox is simpler when it comes to people’s physical appearance. A person can get various organ transplants. However, they will never be able to change every single organ in the body. By this we mean that the person would still be the same. On the other hand , scientists believe that the essence of man lies in their brains.

But there is a catch. We have come closer to the point where the brain will also be replaced. What would happen if we could technically transfer our thoughts, memories and plans to another brain? What if we could transfer all that information to a system that works just like our brain? Would we still be the same?

It is impossible for us to look at ourselves in the mirror at different stages of our lives and see the same person in the reflection. Our physical appearance changes, just like our personality. But people are not just their physical appearance and personality. They are also their relationship to others, their relationship to the environment, their plans, their job, etc. Our social identity is a big part of who we are.

Thus, it does not matter if a person’s physical appearance changes because they remain the same if their environment remains the same, right? As a paradox, the ship of Theseus has not yet been accurately explained. However, it can help us better understand and accept change.