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MENTAL MODEL · M6128

Ship of Theseus

Ship of Theseus
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

The Ship of Theseus, also known as the Theseus Paradox, is a paradox about identity in metaphysics. It was raised by the 1st-century Greek writer Plutarch: if the rotten planks of Theseus's ship are gradually replaced until none of the original planks remain, is it still the same ship? Such questions are now referred to as the 'Ship of Theseus'. Some philosophers argue it is the same object, while others argue it is not. Before Plutarch, Heraclitus, Socrates, and Plato had discussed similar issues. In modern times, Hobbes and John Locke also discussed the problem. There are many versions of this question, such as 'Grandfather's axe' and a story in the Buddhist text 'Mahaprajnaparamita Shastra' about a traveler replacing his body, but no conclusion has been reached to this day.

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The Ship of Theseus, also known as the Theseus Paradox, is a paradox about identity in metaphysics. It was raised by the 1st-century Greek writer Plutarch: if the rotten planks of Theseus's ship are gradually replaced until none of the original planks remain, is it still the same ship? Such questions are now referred to as the 'Ship of Theseus'. Some philosophers argue it is the same object, while others argue it is not.

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The Ship of Theseus paradox asks: if a ship's planks are replaced one by one, is it still the same ship? It challenges whether the identity of an object depends on material composition or on the continuity of structure/relations, sparking debates between perdurantism and endurantism.

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BF%92%E4%BF%AE%E6%96%AF%E4%B9%8B%E8%88%B9ZH · Explicit
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