The Paradox of the Ship of Theseus and Personal Identity

PHIL 3

The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment that has puzzled philosophers for centuries. The paradox
goes like this: Suppose that the famous Ship of Theseus is docked in a harbor. Over time, the ship starts to
deteriorate, and one by one, each part of the ship is replaced. Eventually, every single part of the ship has
been replaced, so that no original part remains. Is the ship that is now in the harbor still the Ship of
Theseus?

This paradox raises the question of personal identity: what makes us who we are? Is it our physical body,
our memories, or something else entirely? In this paper, I will argue that personal identity is not based
solely on the physical body, but rather a combination of physical and psychological continuity.

One common argument against the Ship of Theseus paradox is that the ship's identity is determined by its
original parts. According to this view, if every part of the ship is replaced, then the ship is no longer the
same. However, this argument seems flawed because it fails to account for the fact that our bodies are
constantly changing as well. Every seven years, all of the cells in our bodies are replaced. If our identity
were solely based on the physical body, then we would be different people every seven years.

Another argument is that personal identity is based solely on psychological continuity. According to this
view, what makes us who we are is our memories, beliefs, and desires. This argument also seems flawed
because it fails to account for the fact that we can have false memories or implanted memories. If our
identity were solely based on our memories, then we could easily be deceived into thinking we were
someone else.

I propose a solution that combines both physical and psychological continuity. Personal identity is not
solely based on our physical body or our memories, but rather a combination of both. Our bodies and
minds are constantly changing, but what makes us who we are is the continuity of our physical and
psychological traits over time. We are the same person if we have a continuous stream of experiences that
are causally connected to our past experiences.

In conclusion, the Ship of Theseus paradox raises important questions about personal identity. While there
are arguments for both physical and psychological continuity, I believe that personal identity is best
understood as a combination of both. Our bodies and minds are constantly changing, but what makes us
who we are is the continuity of our physical and psychological traits over time. The Ship of Theseus
paradox may never be fully resolved, but by examining it, we can gain a deeper understanding of what
makes us who we are.