Ship of Theseus

Ship of Theseus from Grates Cove, o/p, 24" x 48", Steven Rhude, Gallery78

The ship of Theseus, also known as Theseus' paradox, is a thought experiment that raises the question of whether an object which has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object. The paradox is most notably recorded by Plutarch in Life of Theseus from the late first century. Plutarch asked whether a ship which was restored by replacing each and every one of its wooden parts remained the same ship.
The paradox had been discussed by more ancient philosophers such as Heraclitus, Socrates, and Plato prior to Plutarch's writings; and more recently by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Several variants are known, including the "grandfather's axe", which has had both its head and handle replaced.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus


Steven Rhude

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