Andrew gives us an overview of the planking on Te Rapunga and as Dick removes the outer sheathing, we begin to wonder about the condition of the original oak construction.⁣⁣
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We are reminded of the ‘Ship of Theseus’ a thought experiment which challenges the idea of identity and change by raising the question of whether an object that has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object. ⁣⁣
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The question was first asked by Plutarch (c. 45-120 CE) - If the Ship of Theseus, was gradually rebuilt over the centuries as wood rotted and broke, was there a point when it stopped being the original, and if so, at what point did it become something else?⁣⁣
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Or perhaps we should modify the statement by Harvard psychologist, Daniel Gilbert, on human beings to read “Boats are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished.”⁣⁣
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If you are interested in exploring this philosophical conundrum further, Kahn Academy has a great video at: bit.ly/2pP0lMU⁣⁣