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

This paradox based on an Ancient Greek myth makes us think about the idea of identity.

The paradox of Theseus' ship is based on the question of whether after having replaced all the pieces that make up an object, it can still be considered the same or it would become a different object from the initial one.

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

What is the paradox of Theseus' ship?

The legend that gives rise to the paradox of Theseus' ship tells that once Theseus was returning from the island of Crete, along with his crew, and they were on a ship that was already quite old. During the journey (which was quite long) the ship was increasingly damaged. Each damage suffered by the ship was repaired by the crew members, the broken part being replaced by a better one, and sometimes the parts were recycled and placed in different parts of the ship.The broken part was replaced by one in better condition, and sometimes the parts were recycled and placed in different parts of the ship.

When Theseus and his crew arrived in port, the ship had been completely modifiedWhen Theseus and his crew arrived in port, the ship had been completely modified, there was not a single piece left from the ship in which they left the island of Crete, or else they had been recycled and placed in different places, as a new piece.

This particular event raised a question on the part of the philosophers of that time: "is the ship in which Theseus and his crew have arrived at port the same ship in which they 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, what makes them unique.what makes them 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 their initial parts..

Examples of the paradox

Some good examples in our present time that can serve to illustrate the paradox of Theseus' boat in a suitable way are the following.

1. Repowering the computer

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

Basically, the parts that are replaced make the computer operate as a different computer than the one you had before.but... Is it really another computer? Or is it the same computer with new parts?

2. Vehicle reconstruction

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

The questions that arise once the vehicle reconstruction process is completed are the same as in the previous example.

3. Sale of Commercial Premises

When a commercial property is sold, usually almost everything in the property is replaced. almost everything about it is changed; the staff, the infrastructure, and sometimes even the name..

But if the business continues to be dedicated to the same business as the previous one, the questions that we already know arise in the same way.

4. The human body

Human beings are sufficiently long-lived that virtually all their cells are replaced by new ones several times by younger generations.

Proposed solutions

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

Formal design

As long as a thing maintains its formal design, that is to say, as long as it continues to look the same way, it does not cease to be the same thing, it does not cease to be the same thing..

2. Material cause

As long as an object maintains its initial materialthat is to say, that it is not reconstructed with pieces of another material, regardless of whether these are new or not, it can still be considered the same object.

3. Final cause

The final cause consists of the purpose for which the object has been made.. As long as a body or object, however reconstructed it may be, still maintains its final cause (the end for which it was designed), it will remain the same initial object.

4. Efficient cause

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

Definition of "the same".

Finally, it is important to understand that the definition of "the same" is something of a completely subjective nature, because for some people it may be the same to have two exactly the same bikes stored in their garage, but for the more puritanical this idea would not hold true.

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

Bibliographical references:

• Aristotle (2008). Metaphysics. Alianza Editorial.
• Cohen, S. M. (2004). Identity, Persistence, and the Ship of Theseus. faculty.washington.edu.