The paradox of the Theseus ship: what is it and what does it explain?

The Paradox of the Ship of Theseus is based on asking the question of whether after all the parts that make up an object, this can continue to be considered the same or it could become a different object than the initial.

It is a paradox that has its origin in a legend of Greek mythology, which consists of various variations and additional questions to the original. In this article we are going to review what this popular and mythical Greek paradox is all about.

• Related article: "How are Psychology and Philosophy similar?"

What is the Ship of Theseus paradox?

The legend that gives rise to the paradox of the ship of Theseus relates that on one occasion Theseus was returning from the island of Crete, along with his crew, and they were on a ship that was already quite old. Along the way (which was quite long) the ship was getting more and more damaged. Every damage the ship suffered was repaired by the crew., the broken piece being replaced by one in better condition, and sometimes the pieces were recycled and placed in different parts of the ship.

When Theseus and his crew reached port, the ship had been completely modified, there was not a single piece left that was from the ship in which they left the island of Crete, or alternatively these had been recycled and placed in different places, like a new piece.

This particular event raised a question on the part of the philosophers of that time: “the ship in the that Theseus and her crew have reached port is the same ship in which they have left the island of Crete?".

Explanation of the paradox

What is sought with this Greek paradox is to clarify in some way what is the essence of bodies and objects, their identity, which makes them something unique.

Although the legend tells the story of Theseus' ship and its crew, the paradox can be extrapolated to almost anything else. It is applicable to other situations and objects that undergo an intense change in most of its initial parts..

Examples of the paradox

Some good examples in our current time that can serve to adequately illustrate the paradox of the ship of Theseus are the following.

1. Reboot the computer

When people repower their computer, the process involves replacing a series of elements at the physical (hardware) and programming (software) that are quite significant for the operation of the equipment.

Basically, the parts that are replaced make the computer operate like a different one than it was previously, but... Is it really another computer? Or is it the same computer with new parts?

2. vehicle reconstruction

Sometimes, after an accident, some vehicles are quite damaged by the accident and almost all their parts are repaired. The repair of these vehicles consists of replacing all damaged parts with new or used parts in good condition.

The questions that arise after the vehicle rebuild process is complete are the same as in the previous example.

3. Sale of commercial premises

When the sale of commercial real estate is made, it is generally almost everything of it is changed; the staff, the infrastructure, and sometimes even the name.

But if the trade continues to do the same as the previous one, the questions that we already know arise in the same way.

4. The human body

Humans they are long-lived enough that virtually all of their cells are replaced several times by younger generations.

Proposed solutions

The famous philosopher Aristotle proposes to provide a definitive solution to the questions raised by the paradox of Theseus' ship differentiating between different types of causes.

1. formal design

As long as a thing maintains its formal design, that is, it continues to be seen in the same way, it's still the same thing.

2. material cause

If an object maintains its initial matter, that is, that it is not rebuilt with pieces of another material, regardless of whether they are new or not, it can continue to be considered the same object.

3. final cause

The final cause is the purpose for which the object was made. As long as a body or object, no matter how reconstructed it may be, continues to maintain its final cause (the purpose for which it was designed), it will remain the same initial object.

4. efficient cause

This last consideration of Aristotle proposes that while the methods used in the repair and replacement of the parts of an object are do following the protocol stipulated for it, the object remains the same as before, only with modifications designed for the same.

Definition of "the same"

Finally, it is important to understand that the definition of "the same" is completely subjective, because for some It may be the same for many people to have two exactly the same bicycles stored in their garage, but for the more puritanical this idea is not would be worth

Bearing in mind that no two bikes can occupy exactly the same physical space anywhere even though the bikes are identical, they would have a characteristic that the other cannot share: the physical space occupied will never be the same.

Bibliographic references:

• Aristotle (2008). Metaphysics. Publisher Alliance.
• Cohen, S. m. (2004). Identity, Persistence, and the Ship of Theseus. faculty.washington.edu.