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Bryan French
Gordan Vurusic
Paper #3
Philosophy 101
March 25, 1999
Philosophical Correlation Between Ship and Car
Everybody knows that certain car, the one that is known as either the “Blue bomb” or “The Terd”. But what actually makes up the car as we know it? Some believe that a car is just made out of parts, and the parts themselves make up that special automobile. But what happens if the car needs a new muffler, a new set of tires, or even a new paint job? Is that car still the same car it was before it had parts changed? Many believe that the car will never be that “special” car that they once knew. Others however, say the car has not changed at all because the parts don’t really make up the essence of the car, just the composition. Every car has a unique identity that goes well beyond the parts. The car has to become a part of a legend, known for such experiences such as; packing twenty people into the back and hauling to a rock concert in Cleveland, or going on family trips with dad driving the whole time. Although both of these views stand valid, I believe that an entity is not just made up of parts but rather it is made from a unique personalization made by the person themselves.
This theory also holds true for Theseus’ ark. Theseus ponders the question of whether or not the ship would still be the same identity if some of the planks had been removed and new ones were to be put into it's place. He also went on to philosophize what would happen if Theseus took his old planks of wood and gave them to his brother Schemuses. Whose ship would it be if Schemuses rebuilt the wood into a new ship?
In determination on whether or not Theseus ship would stay the same whether or not some of the wood planks were replaced by new ones, the answer is far from simple. But take for example, a man who had a bad kidney, receives one from his brother, who has one healthy one left. Of course the man in need of the kidney would still be the same old man as he always was, he wouldn't go from being a priest to a robber because of a simple kidney now would he? Absolutely not, the man will remain the same with or without a new kidney added. He is known as being a somebody, with a unique and personal set of traits and characteristics that make him what he is today. Theseus's ship will still remain Theseus's ship whether or not the planks get replaced. That is just merely a physical change, it doesn't effect what the ship is. Meaning, the ship is still a wooden ship, made of nails and glue and unique to any other ship out there.
Schemuses and Theseus had a good question though, if the old ship planks are taken and built into a ship for Schemuses, is it still Theseus ship? The answer is no, the ship will become Schemuses's ship. Just because the ship is reconstructed using new boards and nails, that does not alter the fact that Schemuses is now the owner of the ship. Put another way, the ship did not even have to be taken apart in any way for it to change identity. Say for example, Theseus's ship was nicknamed Oldglory because on day it hit some rocks and it almost sank. Then the ship is passed to Schemuses, he does not know the history of this vessel, and shortly in his possession, it never has a near miss with some rocks and is called Lucky. The ships identity has changed, because of ownership and also by the experiences the ship has been through.
In conclusion, Theseus's ship is unique through Theseus, because in reality, the ship becomes it's on entity, which is characterized separately. Identity has nothing to do with composition of something, it has to do with the spirit of something.
Word Count: 680
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