Discussion: The Ship of Theseus

The ship of Theseus is a paradox, proposed by Plutarch in a Greek legend. This paradox presents the scenario of a ship that survives among time because every time a piece rots; a new one with the exact same characteristics replaces it. Knowing this, we can raise these questions:

• If each of those pieces were changed, would it still be the same ship?
• If every original piece is used to build an exact same ship, which would be the original?

There are many variations and resolutions of this Paradox and there´s no absolute wrong of right answer. These problems are developed in order to reflect and make us aware about some themes that can be a little abstracts to our minds.

Having that said, my opinion is that everything and everyone is in constant change. Even if our eyes can see it, they are physical and chemical changes in every little thing around us. Cells are reproduced to replace those that died, the paper in our books gets rust, the fabric of our favorite shirt gets old, and so on.

Nevertheless, I think that the real answer is in what you consider to mean, "Stay the same". Japanese believe that something can "Stay the same" if it responds to the same design and purpose. I regard that the fact of worrying about the original materials, it is not knowing how to appreciate the essence of the individual no mater if it is a person, an animal or an object.

So, even if you have grown and painted your hair, fattened or matured over the years, you are still the same person who was born so many years ago. Hence, Theseus´s ship is the same even when all its pieces are changed because it was created from new pieces with the purpose of navigate and by the time got patched to continue fulfilling its purpose.

Likewise, if a new ship is created from the original parts of Theseus´ then it would be just that. Another ship with unknown purposes, created with old pieces from the ship of Theseus. No new pieces neither the same purpose.

This applies to the personality of oneself, to the ideas conceived by oneself and even to the plans one wants to carry out in life. Twisting them, mending them and changing them do not mean they stop being the same as long as you maintain its essence.

Now I ask you, reader. What do you think? Do you agree with my resolution or do you have a different answer?