The Ship of Theseus
According to Greek legend, Theseus had a ship that was preserved by the Athenians, who replaced the old with the new so that, in time, every single piece of the ship had been replaced.
Question: Is it still the same ship?
Corollary: If another ship was bult from the pieces replaced, which ship is the rightful Ship of Theseus?
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As reported in a classic car magazine, a man found a pile of rust, in which was a much corroded chassis plate, which revealed that this pile of rust was, in fact, the earliest registered car of its marque (a Bentley, as I recall).
So the man bought the pile of rust, examined every fragment to determine what was beyond salvage or repair ... and replaced that which was simply too far gone, as one would do over the passage of years ... in so doing he built a Bentley out of new components entirely, everything except the chassis plate.
He then tried to re-register the car as the same vehicle as that signified by the chassis plate, which would make it the oldest and thus most valuable, desirable and collectable (and immediately devaluing the current holder of the title which was itself a restored vehicle, but considerably younger).
Was that car the car the chassis plate claimed it to be?
Thomas
According to Greek legend, Theseus had a ship that was preserved by the Athenians, who replaced the old with the new so that, in time, every single piece of the ship had been replaced.
Question: Is it still the same ship?
Corollary: If another ship was bult from the pieces replaced, which ship is the rightful Ship of Theseus?
+++
As reported in a classic car magazine, a man found a pile of rust, in which was a much corroded chassis plate, which revealed that this pile of rust was, in fact, the earliest registered car of its marque (a Bentley, as I recall).
So the man bought the pile of rust, examined every fragment to determine what was beyond salvage or repair ... and replaced that which was simply too far gone, as one would do over the passage of years ... in so doing he built a Bentley out of new components entirely, everything except the chassis plate.
He then tried to re-register the car as the same vehicle as that signified by the chassis plate, which would make it the oldest and thus most valuable, desirable and collectable (and immediately devaluing the current holder of the title which was itself a restored vehicle, but considerably younger).
Was that car the car the chassis plate claimed it to be?
Thomas