A philosophical puzzle related to identity, first posed by Plutarch, an Ancient Greek philosopher. The Ship of Theseus was an important ship that the Athenians wanted to preserve over a many years. Old, rotting pieces of the ship were replaced with new pieces, until all of the original pieces of the ship were replaced. The question became: is this still the Ship of Theseus? Depending on perspective, the answer can be yes or no.
Reference: Ancient philosopher Plutarch: coined the term in reference to the ship which hero Theseus sailed on after slaying the Minotaur. The Athenians preserved the ship for many years, by replacing the old rotting wood with new pieces, until eventually none of the original wood remained. The question then became: was this ship was still the Ship of Theseus?
Insight: We can use the Ship of Theseus paradox to relate to organisational culture. Organisations change their shape all the time with new hires, people leaving and getting fired. But if an organisation can build a strong culture and identity, when personnel changes happen, the organisation can retain its identity.
Insight: The strongest influences on organisational culture are often who you hire, promote and fire. HR management has a big influence on organisational culture.
Insight: When people hiring is quick, with rapid growth and start ups, there is the risk that the people you hire are mercenaries (incentivised by money) rather than missionaries (committed to the organisational mission).
Principle: When building a business, build a Ship of Theseus.
Reference: Plutarch's Life of Theseus: in Ancient Greece the Athenians preserved the Ship of Theseus for many centuries by replacing each piece of wood until all of the wood was replaced. Plutarch poses the question: is it still the Ship of Theseus?
Example: In Japan for 1,400 years a Shinto shrine has been rebuilt every 23 years, around 60 times. Is it the same shrine, or 60 consecutive shrines?
Example: New skin replaces old. New memories replace old. Are we still the same people?
Insight: Our understanding of what something is is just perspective. The universe is continuously changing. Nothing stays the same.
Example: People that have dementia: are they the same person as before the disease? In some ways yes, in some no. It depends.
Insight: Identity can have many different perspectives, and thus answers. It often depends on what matters.
Reference: Thomas Hobbes' [British philosopher] example of the Ship of Theseus: if all of the rotting parts of a ship are replaced with new pieces, is it still the same ship? If someone took all the old rotting bits and put them back together, does this have a stronger claim to being the original ship?
Example: A carpenter uses his favourite hammer for 50 years. During that time the handle is replaced 3 times, the head replaced twice. Is it the same hammer?
Example: Human cells change until all are replaced. Are we still the same person?
Insight: Despite change, things can still retain an identity.
Insight: It appears that the human mind is important to our identity: knowledge, experience, memory.
Definition: A puzzle about identity through time.
Reference: The puzzle is based on the story of Athenians who made a sacred journey to Delos on Theseus' ship each year. The ship required ongoing repairs, and over time the rotten planks were replaced with new ones, until all had been replaced. Plutarch describes Athenian philosophers who debated whether the ship was still the same after all the repairs.
Reference: Hobbes: if someone collected all the old planks of the ship and restoring the old ship is this also the Ship of Theseus? Does the same ship exist twice?
Example: Parenting: if children gain their priorities and values from other people, whose children are they?
Reference: A puzzle posed by the Greeks, first by Plutarch: Athenians wanted to maintain the ship of Theseus - famed for slaying the Minotaur - as tribute. As parts decayed, they were replaced until eventually all the part of the ship where replaced. Plutarch asked the question: is it still the Ship of Theseus?
Reference: A philosophical question first introduced by the Ancient Greeks, relating to the Ship of Theseus. If the planks of the ship are replaced over time, until every original part is replaced, is it still the Ship of Theseus?
Insight: The answer could be yes and no, depending on perspective.
Example: People change greatly over a lifetime. There is little in common between a 2 year old and 90 year old. Are they the same person?
Insight: The Paradox is a problem of identity.
Key Insights & Principles
Identity
Identity often depends on perspective.
Everything is continuously changing.
Despite continuous change, things can retain identity.
Recognise that change is always happening, but depending on perspective, what something is can be maintained over time.
Business
Change of personnel can have a huge impact on organisational culture and identity.
Retaining culture can be most difficult during periods of rapid growth, where the risk of hiring mercenaries (incentivised by money) rather than missionaries (committed to the organisational mission) is larger.
When building a business, build a Ship of Theseus.
