If all the old parts have been replaced,
is it still the same vessel?
- The Ship of Theseus paradox
Legend has it when Theseus slayed the Minotaur, he returned from Crete a hero. For centuries, the Athenians revered Theseus and preserved his ship as a monument. They cared for the thirty-oared galley docked in the harbor, lovingly replacing every decayed plank of wood until not a single part of the original ship remained.
The paradox of Theseus’ ship is in the answer to this question:
If all the old parts have been replaced, is it still the same vessel?