Paradox in Metaphysics: The Ship of Theseus, Free Essay in Philosophy

The Theseus Paradox is a philosophical dilemma or puzzle that raises the question of identity. Theseus was a legendary king in ancient Greece who is renowned as the founder of the city of Athens. Theseus won many naval battles that Athenians decided to create a memorial at the port in his honor by preserving his ship. As it was widely known, the ship of Theseus lasted for hundreds of years at the port. However, as time progressed, the wooden planks that had been used to construct the ship started decaying away. Therefore, in the efforts to restore the ship of Theseus to its original glory and maintain the ship nice and complete, the planks that decayed were replaced with new wooden planks from the same material (Volek 96). Now, the philosophical question that puzzles many philosophers and thinkers is if one plank is replaced, does it still remain the same ship of Theseus? The question of sameness or identity is one that has various facets of argument. In light of this paper, I seek to argue that the essence of an object is more than its outside appearance and that the exterior or physical changes do not change the essence of an object, for instance, the essence of an individual. Therefore, the ship of Theseus remains the same even after the replacement of planks.

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The wooden planks of the ship of Theseus were rotting gradually as time passed by. As the new wooden replacements take shape, they morph into the physical appearance of the ship and become part of the whole structure. At the first unit of plank replacement, the ship fundamentally remains as the ship of Theseus. Such a minor alteration could not irritate the king or even a passerby. With this note, with each wooden replacement, the ship remains essentially the Theseus' ship even though the materials have been changed gradually over the course of time. The gradual replacement allows the ship to remain in the same status quo as the Spirit of Athens. There can be no change in the identity of the ship of Theseus because of its role in the history of Athens (Buxbaum 67). It also maintains its sameness attribute due to the role it played in the world history. The rotten wooden planks were changed gradually but the actor maintained identity.

Similarly, the paradox of Theseus raises the issue of personal identity in the human life. According to scientific studies, the human cells are replaced every seven years since they die within this span of life. If these cells are renewed, is it right to argue that a new person is reborn? In light of this puzzle, my answer is that people retain their identity just like the ship of Theseus. People grow old and the physical appearance of a small five-year kid is not the same as that of a 30-year adult. However, in essence, people maintain self-identity. Furthermore, the brain cells do not regenerate but they mature and the thinking can never remain the same but fundamentally, a person's identity remains the same. Likewise, in the ship of Theseus, the qualities of the replaced planks have no impact on the essence of the object that remains the same even after gradual changes. In humans, the personality of individuals change with time but essentially, the person remains the same.

On the contrary, a different school of thought argues that the ship of Theseus changed immediately the first plank was replaced. The atoms or particles that make up the ship were changing with time per replacement. The ship of Theseus could not be identified with the different parts that make it but it changed once it was altered. On the same lens of thought, some philosophers compare this thought with the human life. Besides, others argue that a person is fundamentally identified with their body (Volek 98). The argument falls on the physical attributes of an object. Just like the changes in the physical appearance of the Theseus' ship changed its identity according to some scholars.

In conclusion, the physical appearance of an object is not the source of its identity. However, some argue that the physical attributes define the essence of an object. However, the ship of Theseus maintained its identity after a gradual change in the components that made it. The people of Athens still viewed it as the spirit of the city. The 'being' of the ship of Theseus cannot be identified with its matter. Likewise, a child grows to an adult and along the way, the physical features, personality, and experiences change but it does not mean that the essence of a person changes. Likewise, even if the years pass by, a mother will always refer to an adult son or daughter as my child. The gradual change in the Ship of Theseus retained its originality in essence. In summation, the changes we encounter in
body and mind as we grow older do not change our identity in essence.

Works Cited

Buxbaum, Jeremy Lewis. The Metaphysical Foundations of Identity over Time. 2003. Print.

Volek, Peter. "Aquinas and the Ship of Theseus: Solving Puzzles about Material Objects." Studia Neoaristotelica 7.1 (2010): 96-99. Web.