Ep 8: Ship of Theseus - One Ship, Two Ship, Old Ship, New Ship

The Ship of Theseus is one of longest-standing paradoxes in philosophy. It asks us to consider how something can change over time, but still remain the same thing. If we take a ship, like the Ship of Theseus, and gradually replace all of the planks and sails and other parts, is there a point at which it’s no longer the Ship of Theseus? Are we something more than just the sum of our parts? We try to solve this age-old riddle on today’s show with the help of Leibniz, Wittgenstein and others. We also provide suggestions for naming your new boat, from “The Codfather” to “Cirrhosis of the River.” Along the way we uncover some interesting trivia about another famous boat, “The S.S. Minnow” from Gilligan’s Island.