The ship of Theseus is an experiment of ancient Greek philosophy, which aims to explore the constancy and variability of objects. The core question of this experiment is: If all the parts of a ship were changed, would it still be that ship? This question seems simple, but it has caused countless philosophical thoughts.

The story of Theseus' ship

The story of Theseus' ship originated from theseus, a hero in ancient Greek mythology. It is said that theseus led the Athenians to Crete and defeated the monster MINO Taulos there. On the way back to Athens, Theseus' ship underwent a series of repairs and replacements. Whenever a board is broken, it will be replaced with a new board; Every time the mast is broken, a new mast will be put on. Finally, every part of the ship was replaced, leaving no original planks or masts.

This story raises a philosophical question: when all the parts of a ship are replaced, is it still the same ship? If so, what determines its constancy? If not, when did it become a new ship during the replacement process?

The constancy and variability of ships

The story of Theseus' ship leads to thinking about the constancy and variability of objects. In our daily life, we often encounter similar problems. For example, if the handle of the hammer is broken, we replace the handle and the hammer head is worn, so we replace the hammer head. After many changes, every part of the hammer has been replaced, but we still call it the same hammer. This is because we attribute the constancy of the hammer to its function and shape, not its material composition.

In the field of philosophy, the discussion about constancy and variability can be traced back to the ancient Greek philosophers Hippocrates and Plato. Hippocrates believed that the constancy of an object depends on its shape and structure, not its material composition. Plato believes that the constancy of objects exists in the conceptual world, while the change of the material world is only a temporary interference to constancy.

Modern interpretation of Theseus' ship

In modern philosophy, the problem of Theseus' ship has caused many interesting discussions. Some philosophers believe that the constancy of objects is an illusion because all objects are constantly changing. According to this view, Theseus' ship is no longer the same ship in the process of replacement, but a series of similar but not identical ships.

However, other philosophers hold the opposite view. They believe that the constancy of objects exists in our cognition. When we see a ship, we will compare it with the ships we have seen before, so that it is the same ship. In other words, constancy is a subjective cognitive construction, not an objective entity.