The Ship of Theseus
So, who are you? (The Bus 3.36)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
The ‘Ship of Theseus’ is a thought experiment first raised by the Greek historian Plutarch.1 A paradox ‘regarding identity and change across time,’ the experiment questions whether an object that has had all of its ‘components replaced remains fundamentally the same object.’ Specifically, if the ‘ship on which Theseus sailed has been so heavily repaired and nearly every part replaced, is it still the same ship — and, if not, at what point did it stop being the same ship?’
At the heart of the paradox is the question of whether or not a ship2 which has had all of its parts replaced ‘gradually and one at a time,’ is the same ship that existed before the replacements. Since the vessel continues to exist after every part is replaced, on one hand the answer appears to be yes. However, since after the replacements the ship is ‘materially completely different’ from before the replacements, on the other hand the answer appears to be no.
The paradox is central to many philosophical inquiries, not least of which is the question of material constitution. For example, what exactly is the relationship between ‘a clay statue and the lump of clay from which it is formed,’ or the relationship between a painting and the canvas on which it sits, a melody and its compositional notes, or the black marks on a piece of paper and the story they tell? And these questions don’t, of course, stop with statues, ships, paintings and music, but quickly expand into ones about our very existence. The human body replaces itself on a cellular level multiple times throughout our lives and, materially, we are a completely different physical being at 50 than we were at five. Does this mean we are still the same person five decades on? On one hand the obvious answer is yes, but on the other hand … it may not be so clear.
For a very good explanation of the paradox, see: Who Am I?
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to Paul Kalkbrenner’s Schwer, a short (3:38) video exploring the interrelation between daily life and the impact of artificial intelligence. The film starts with scenes that appear normal at first, but every time they’re revisited the content changes until an arc is built from ‘normal life to complete absurdity.’ Worth a watch!
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is Tim Winton’s Breath (2008). The novel tells the story of two young Australian boys who fall under the spell of a big-wave surfer and his American wife. Initiated into a regimen of risk and challenge, the boys and the adults push each other to the edges of endurance, courage, and sanity. It’s a powerful, beautifully-written novel - and one I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Highly recommended, but disturbing.
From the back: Tim Winton’s Breath, winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, is a story about the wildness of youth and learning to live with its passing.
When paramedic Bruce Pike is called out to deal with another teenage adventure gone wrong, he knows better than his colleague, better than the kid’s parents, what happened and how. Thirty years before, that dead boy could have been him.
A relentlessly gripping and deeply moving novel about the damage you do to yourself when you’re young and think you’re immortal.
Look for Breath at an independent new or used bookstore (or, hey, the library) near you!
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is based around ships, of course: ‘The Ship Song’ (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, 1993), ‘Ship of Fools’ (Robert Plant, 1988), ‘Ship to Wreck’ (Florence + The Machine, 2015), ‘Shipbuilding’ (Elvis Costello and The Attractions, 1982) and ‘Ship of Fools’ (The Grateful Dead, 1974).3 Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Breath:
‘Being afraid proves you're alive and awake.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
It actually appears much earlier, but is preserved by Plutarch in his Life of Theseus: ‘The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned from Crete had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians … for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their places, insomuch that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same.’ It’s a great thought experiment, and one I enjoy teaching when I have the opportunity. Sources for today’s Stop include: Identity over Time (Stanford), Material Consitution (Stanford), Ship of Theseus (OK State) and Ship of Theseus (Marginalian).
And by ship, this could refer to any material object - including humans. For more about Plutarch, see: Plutarch (Britannica).
The Cave track is one of my all-time favourites (and from one of the best live albums ever recorded), and I personally think this Robert Plant song is his finest solo piece. This isn’t to knock the other three tracks, of course, but ….
An even further detour...do you recall the name of the sci-fi (not alien abduction type!) author you suggested to me?
Can't forget World Party's Ship of Fools!