The identity and the ship of Theseus

We tend to think that our identity is unique and immutable, that it is always the same. However, the reality is that our identity is more fragile than it appears. To understand it better, the paradox of the ship of Theseus can serve as an example. They say this paradox: “In the course of their travels, the wood broke or rotted, and had to be replaced. When Theseus returned home, The ship that docked in the port did not have a single piece of the ship that had left there.”. Even so, the crew had no doubt that it was the same boat.

The story of Theseus’ ship is a replacement paradox. If all of an object’s parts are replaced, is it still the same object? This paradox can also apply to us, to people. Are we still the same if our physique changes? What if what changes is our personality?

The legend of Theseus’ ship

Theseus was, according to Greek legend, the founding king of Athens. Other legends highlight that it was Poseidon himself. In one of Theseus’ stories a boat trip from Crete to Athens is recounted. The used boat was preserved for 300 years so the different parts of the boat were replaced. In the end, after so much time, the boat no longer looked like the original. None of the pieces of the ship corresponded to the first ones that had been used to build it.

The question that arises is, if in a boat with 30 oars we replace a single oar, would it still be the same boat? What if 15 oars are replaced? What if all the oars are replaced? Or, if instead of the oars, boards that break are replaced? What if in the end all the boards on the boat end up being replaced? The problem, and what makes it a paradox, is that It is very difficult to know exactly the point at which one thing becomes something else if we replace its parts.

The ship of Theseus in philosophy

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes went further in this paradox. He stated that every piece of wood that was replaced from the ship was saved. In this way, when all the parts had been changed, a new ship was built with the old parts. From this story, Hobbes posed the following questions, which of these two ships is Theseus’ real ship? The one made from the original material, you could say. But that’s not what Theseus thinks, He believes his boat has been renovated not replaced.

The same paradox applies to identity. Do we have a stable identity or can it change? The philosopher Heraclitus took a stand with his famous statement: “No man can cross the same river twice, because neither the man nor the water will be the same.” Given which the doubt arises as to whether the identity is renewed or changed, remains the same or is different.

Changes in identity

In the case of people, this paradox is simpler when it comes to the physical. Although there are transplants of various organs, all the changes could never be made and this could replace it completely. Therefore, it is understood that the person would remain the same. On the other hand, there seems to be a consensus that people are their brains.

However, there is a problem, and that is As science advances, we are approaching the point where the brain can be just another organ and therefore can also be replaced.. What would happen then, if we could technically transfer our thoughts, memories and plans to another brain or to a system that behaves like it? Would we still be the same person?

When we look in the mirror over the years, we don’t see the same person. Our physique changes as does our personality. However, people are not just our physique and our personality. People are also their relationships with others, their actions on the environment, their plans, their works, etc. We are also our social identities.

As long as all this remains the same, even if the packaging changes, the person will be the same, right? Like any paradox, that of Theseus’s ship still does not find a single answer. However, thinking about it can help us better understand and accept change.

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