Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SHIP OF THESEUS
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pronounce
SHIP OF THESEUS:
Say it "SHIP uv THEESE ee us."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
You might remember Theseus from Greek mythology, the one who shouts "I volunteer as tribute!" and goes off to slay the Minotaur, the beast who's been eating 14 young tributes each year.
It all goes down in a maze-like structure full of complex paths and passages. (Could you recall the adjective that arose from this story? It starts with L.)
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
In Greek myth, Theseus is a king, a hero, and an adventurer, the one who slays the Minotaur. Many of his adventures take place on land, but he also sails a ship home to Athens, where, given his status as a hero, the ship is preserved as a monument.
That ship became a metaphor, as well as a thought experiment in philosophy.
Eventually, all of the ship's parts had to be replaced, so... is it even the same ship anymore?
That question, and the struggle to answer it, is known as the Ship of Theseus (or Theseus' Paradox, or the Theseus Paradox.)
Here's a fuller explanation, from Plutarch:
"The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians...for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their place, insomuch that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same."
Today, if we call something a Ship of Theseus, we mean it's a thing with individual parts that have changed so much that, maybe, it's no longer the same thing at all.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Proper noun: "We considered the problem, which seemed like a Ship of Theseus."
Other forms:
If you prefer, you can label this idea "Theseus' Paradox" or "the Theseus Paradox." (These labels make it extra-clear that the issue is a thorny one, a contradictory set of truths: after its pieces are replaced, the ship both is and isn't its original self.)
how to use it:
This term is rare and scholarly, so when you use it, consider including an explanation of what it means. It would be a kindness your audience. And it's what many writers have done.
We might refer to some object or situation as a Ship of Theseus when its pieces or people keep changing. For instance: a company with high turnover, a band with members who often quit, a dish or recipe with endless substitutions, or a video game with elements that constantly change.
Or, we might use this term loosely like an adjective, and say that some situation raises a Ship of Theseus question, or causes a Ship of Theseus problem, or starts a Ship of Theseus argument.
examples:
"In the thought experiment The Ship of Theseus, a famous ship's parts are gradually replaced over the course of a century until all the parts are new. The question arises: is the restored ship the same as the original? We're running a similar experiment here at JAZZIZ with our new Interchange playlists, in which we re-create classic jazz albums using covers by other artists."
— Brian Zimmerman, JAZZIZ, 21 February 2019
Describing a group in which one person was demoted and three others resigned, Ben Thomas said: "When you examine each of the departures individually they all make sense... But when you start looking at all of that together it starts looking like a sort of a Ship of Theseus problem."
— Reported by Charlotte Graham-McLay, The Guardian, 24 July 2020
"The U.S. Navy would prefer older ship designs outfitted with new weapons instead of new designs fitted with new weapons... The first Large Surface Combatant—let's call it the USS Theseus—could well feature the same hull used in the Arleigh Burke-class ships."
— Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanices, 15 August 2019
has this page helped you understand "Ship of Theseus"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "Ship of Theseus" without saying "Grandfather's Axe" or "something with rotating components and an identity crisis."
try it out:
Talk about something important to you that has changed a lot over the years. It might be a club, a team, a store, a recipe, a holiday, a social group, a musical group, or a television show.
Considering all the changes that this thing has endured, would you call it a Ship of Theseus? If so, how has it perhaps lost its essence or basic identity?
Or, would you say that, despite all the changes, it's no Ship of Theseus? If so, how has it maintained its essence or basic identity?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Perfectly Cromulent Words!*
In each issue this month, match a scene from The Simpsons to the term that it calls to mind.
To see the answer, scroll to the bottom of the issue.
Try this one today:
Does the scene below suggest the word palaver, paramount, or pellucid?
*You might recall that 1996 episode of The Simpsons that became famous among word-lovers. It earned the made-up word "cromulent" a place in dictionaries, thanks to this brief bit of dialogue:
Ms. Krabappel: "Embiggens? Hm, I never heard that word before I moved to Springfield."
Ms. Hoover: "I don't know why. It's a perfectly cromulent word."
review this word:
A. TROUBLED WATERS.
B. AMBIGUOUS ANSWER.
C. STEADFAST INSTITUTION.
2. After noting in the Wall Street Journal that the Miami Marlins are a Ship of Theseus, Jared Diamond added that they're "effectively _____ of themselves."
A. a carnival mirror
B. a patchwork cover band
C. a power-packed concentration
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
You might remember Theseus from Greek mythology, the one who shouts "I volunteer as tribute!" and goes off to slay the Minotaur, the beast who's been eating 14 young tributes each year.
Part of speech:
This term is rare and scholarly, so when you use it, consider including an explanation of what it means. It would be a kindness your audience. And it's what many writers have done.
"In the thought experiment The Ship of Theseus, a famous ship's parts are gradually replaced over the course of a century until all the parts are new. The question arises: is the restored ship the same as the original? We're running a similar experiment here at JAZZIZ with our new Interchange playlists, in which we re-create classic jazz albums using covers by other artists."
Explain the meaning of "Ship of Theseus" without saying "Grandfather's Axe" or "something with rotating components and an identity crisis."
Talk about something important to you that has changed a lot over the years. It might be a club, a team, a store, a recipe, a holiday, a social group, a musical group, or a television show.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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