7 Jun 2023

The Ship of Theseus Paradox - The Most Famous Paradox in Philosophy

Here is one of the most interesting paradox in the history known as "The ship of Theseus paradox".
Suppose there is a ship. Each part of this ship is replaced gradually with a new part. Finally every original component has been replaced. 
Now can you tell me, is the resulting ship still the same ship or the new one? 
Let's find out...
On one hand, we can argue that the ship is the same as every part of the ship has been replaced but the original structure and functionality is still the same. 
On the other hand, we may argue that this ship is completely different as eventually there is nothing left in the ship that we can say of its own because none of the original components remain.
If we believe that the ship is still the same even after all of its parts have been replaced, it shows that identity can be retained through continuity and function. However, if we claim that the ship has changed and now it's a new ship, it implies that the ship's identity is dependent on the persistence of certain material components.
Here, there is one more question that is difficult to answer... 
After how many changes the ship changed from the old one to the new one. How long it preserved it's identity? 

"The Ship of Theseus Paradox" Explained


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