A common alternative to this is the "Grandfather's Axe" story. But would it be the same hammer anymore?ĭue to the above exchange on Only Fools and Horses, British tropers may be more familiar with referring to this dilemma as the "Trigger's Broom Paradox".Įxamples of the conundrum in fiction can play out with virtually any object. But if later on the handle breaks, you'd have to replace that as well. Or for a more concise example, if you have a hammer and the head breaks, you replace it. So which is the ship that sailed the world? The one in Theseus's dock, or the one built of all the pieces of the original ship? Someone else buys all the pieces that Theseus discards and assembles a second ship from them. So is the ship at voyage's end still the same ship that first set sail? If yes, what would have to have to happen for the ship to stop being considered the original? If no, at what point did the ship stop being the original?Īnother version holds that, after sailing the world on his ship, Theseus docks it and keeps it in working order by gradually replacing all of its pieces. By the time his voyage is finished, every single part of the ship has been replaced. The classic story goes as follows: Theseus sails the world on his famous ship, but as the pieces of the ship begin to wear down, he replaces them. The Ship of Theseus is a classic philosophical thought experiment about the nature of identity. Is an object simply the sum of the specific parts that compose it? And if those parts are gradually replaced, is it still the same object? Only Fools and Horses, " Heroes and Villains"
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |