Identity, Growth, and the Ship of Theseus

I’m a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, philosophy, and great storytelling. Naturally, I really liked Marvel’s WandaVision, which combined these three things in a way I haven’t seen before. The underlying exploration of grief, trauma, and coping was deep and poignant to me, and I’m sure I’ll end up discussing that in a later post. This week, I want to discuss a concept that was explored in the season finale: the Ship of Theseus.

The Ship of Theseus is a philosophical paradox, notably explored in Plutarch’s Life of Theseus:

“The ship on which Theseus sailed with the youths and returned in safety, the thirty-oared galley, was preserved by the Athenians down to the time of Demetrius Phalereus. They took away the old timbers from time to time, and put new and sound ones in their places, so that the vessel became a standing illustration for the philosophers in the mooted question of growth, some declaring that it remained the same, others that it was not the same vessel.” [Link]

The fundamental question asked by this account is: If, over time, all of the individual parts of a whole are replaced, is that whole identified by its original purpose, or the new parts that make it up?

I’m not about to claim an answer to this question - it’s been discussed by many people much smarter than myself for hundreds and thousands of years. I do, however, think there is merit in discussing it not in an attempt to resolve the paradox, but to use the question to learn more about ourselves and the nature of change.

Identity

The foundational question of the Ship of Theseus is one of identity: Is the ship identified by the physical material that makes it up, or is it identified by the intent and purpose of its creation/preservation (the Final Cause)? Though this is most often discussed regarding objects, we can benefit from asking this of ourselves:

Are you identified by the physical materials (skin, hair, height, weight, bone structure, etc.) that make you up, or are you identified by the intent and purpose of your creation and preservation (goals, dreams, memories, experiences, relationships)?

As something of a romantic, I tend to lean towards the Aristotelian view of identity. While our physical make-up is important and does play a role in the other areas of our identity (physical and mental disabilities can limit what we are able to do in some ways), the memories we have, dreams we dream, and relationships we develop make each of us truly unique. While this is the definition of identity that resonates with me, it’s not the only defensible one.

To give another thought to chew on, consider DNA and genes. These are physical traits that are often used to describe each individual’s uniqueness. Our DNA is something unique to each of us, and genes are a complex combination of traits inherited from generations of ancestors. When you think about it this way, the identifying nature of our physical make-up becomes more convincing.

Growth

Accompanying the question of identity in this thought experiment is a discussion on growth. The nature of growth and progress is tied to identity. The ship wasn’t materially replaced all at once - over time, the individual components were interchanged one by one. If the parts were replaced all at once, the paradox wouldn’t really be a paradox because it would be easy to say that a brand new ship had just been built.

So it is with you and me. We aren’t the same people today as we were a year ago. Over many years, we may find that all of our component parts seem to have been replaced - does that mean we aren’t the same people? I can’t answer that for you, but for me, it’s complicated. In some ways, I’m not the same. Physically, every part of my body is different than it was when I was 12. The cells have all died and been replaced. I’ve had experiences and learned things that make my outlook on life vastly different, as well as my priorities, dreams, and goals.

In other ways, I’m the same. My name hasn’t changed. My parents, siblings, cousins, and other family members are still related to me. But most importantly, my story is still about me. When we talk about identity and growth, the two are interconnected because identity IS growth. The most important aspect of this conversation is that regardless of what changes or stays the same, each of us is defined by the journey we are on.

Wanda

If you haven’t seen WandaVision, this is your spoiler warning. At the end of the show, resolution for Wanda takes the form of her giving up the picture-perfect life she always wanted because in order to achieve it she would have to continue controlling the lives of hundreds of other people. Her resolution isn’t found in attempting to control her fate or reverse the tragic loss in her life, it’s found in her acceptance of her story and willingness to come to terms with it.

We aren’t the same as we were, and that’s okay. You are a different person than you were before, and that’s okay. Who we are is where we’ve been, where we are, and where we go from here. If there’s a lesson I want to take from the story of the Ship of Theseus, it’s that whether the ship was never changed or every single piece was replaced, it’s still the Ship of Theseus.