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Answer
The 2012 film “Ship of Theseus,” written and directed by Anand Gandhi, explores the ancient thought experiment of whether an object remains the same when all its parts are replaced. This philosophical dilemma was also referenced in Episode 9 of WandaVision in 2021.
The paradox of the ship of Theseus was initially introduced by two Greek philosophers, Heraclitus and Plato. A modern variation of this paradox is the “grandfather’s axe” question: if both the head and the handle of an axe are replaced, is it still considered fundamentally the grandfather’s axe?
Various solutions to this paradox have been suggested. The most practical one appears to be that when all the original components of something are replaced, it ceases to be the original. In the case of the ship that Theseus used to sail back to Athens, which was “preserved” over centuries by replacing its parts, the most plausible conclusion is that it was no longer the original ship. Gradually, plank by plank, the authentic ship of Theseus was transformed into a replica.
For instance, if the wheel of the ship of Theseus was the original, one could claim, “This is the wheel that Theseus used to steer the ship.” However, once the wheel is replaced, that statement is no longer accurate. The new wheel may have the same size and shape as the original, but it is not the one that Theseus touched. Therefore, when all the components of Theseus’ ship were replaced, it ceased to be the ship on which Theseus embarked.
This question becomes significant in the realms of copyright law and legal naming rights. The English progressive rock band Yes was established in 1968, but all the original members have been substituted with other musicians. Can it still be considered the band Yes? Although it retains the same name, it lacks the original members. Legally, they may have acquired the rights to the name and possibly the music catalog, but fundamentally, it is a different band.
The ship of Theseus problem raises intriguing ethical concerns that revolve around the question of what truly defines the essence of an object or entity.
Questions of permanence and identity arise. Does a person remain an individual if all their failing parts are replaced? Are they still the same individual? Or is there a threshold where adequate changes have occurred that the original individual is no longer recognizable?
When science reigns supreme and secular humanism is embraced, as is the case in Western society, individuals lose the concept of transcendence, the acknowledgment that there exists something beyond the physical realm. Without a sense of transcendence, the world appears “flat”; individuals no longer perceive the world as a space in which to thrive but as an entity to be controlled, utilized, and exploited. Creation loses its magnificence, and its inhabitants lose the feeling of wonder that God intends for us to experience.
Viewing themselves merely as a set of replaceable components, individuals perceive the world in stark terms, and each person appears to be merely a biological entity to be nurtured and controlled. Morality, ethics, justice, art, and creativity are seen as deviations from the evolutionary process and are disconnected from anything external to ourselves. With a worldview lacking spirituality, individuals forfeit their sense of transcendence and resort to technology to fill the void.
Humans possess a yearning for something beyond the physical and limited, something surpassing the ordinary that remains elusive. The theologian Augustine, in the fourth century, acknowledged this yearning when he penned, “You, God, have created us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We are fashioned in the image of God. Despite sacrificing the marvel of the supernatural in favor of materialism, rationalism, and empirical science, individuals seek to satisfy an inherent, profound craving for significance, purpose, and enduring value.
There are those who seek in technology a means to attain permanence and even a form of “eternal life.” Some envision “uploading” one’s mind or consciousness into a virtual reality and existing eternally as a virtual human. Futurist Ray Kurzweil articulates, “Our”Identity will be based on our evolving mind file. We will be software, not hardware. As software, our mortality will not depend on the survival of the circuitry but through taking care to make frequent backups” (The Age of Spiritual Machines, Penguin Books, 1999, cited in Gould, P., Cultural Apologetics, Zondervan, 2019, p. 89). Obviously, such thinkers’ solution to the ship of Theseus paradox is that most of our parts can be dispensed with.
Technological offers of transcendence appeal to our deepest longings, but they fail because they don’t help us see and delight in the real world for which we were made. We are more than just a body, and we are more than just a mind or soul. We are comprised of body and soul-spirit, and we are designed both to live in a physical world and commune with a spiritual God. But can humans ever escape the temporary nature of physical existence? If the answer is based on human technology and a world of materialism that continues on ad nauseam, the answer is “no.”
But if the answer is based on the Christian worldview of a transcendent Creator who promises to replace our mortal bodies one day with a body fit for eternity, then the answer is a resounding “yes.” At the heart of the gospel is the promise of life over death, permanence over the temporal. We live in a world where the curse of death is active every minute of every day. But the gospel is the good news that death and its sting, sin, were conquered by Jesus on the cross.
Jesus told Martha after her brother’s death, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26;ESV). Earlier, Jesus had told Nicodemus, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” «He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.», (John 3:36). These promises were fulfilled when Jesus emerged alive from His tomb.
We will continue to dwell in a fallen world where death is inevitable until Christ returns. Can we extend our lives through medical science? Yes, to some extent. Medications, surgeries, and organ replacements are remarkable technological advancements. However, they are not the ultimate solution, and relying on them can only result in a false sense of peace that will never bring true satisfaction.
The Christian response to the ship of Theseus paradox is “yes”—with conditions. God assures the resurrection of the body. Our “lowly bodies” will be transformed to be “like [Christ’s] glorious body” «who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.», (Philippians 3:21). Our resurrected bodies will be spiritual, imperishable, and raised in glory and power (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). We will be changed, yet remain ourselves. Each of us will be the same individual, but perfected, living without sin in a body that will never suffer from sickness, decay, deterioration, or death (1 Corinthians 15:54;Revelation 21:4;Revelation 22:3). In the eternal realm, we will radiate the glory of the Son and embody the perfection of God’s image that we were always meant to reflect.
