Fearn:
In the two examples you cite, I would submit that the paradox is only a paradox when the item is altered after the original (descriptive) owner has passed it on to someone else.
If grandfather loses his axe and buys a new one, the second axe is again grandfather's axe because it is owned by grandfather. If grandfather replaces the handle or axe head, the renovated axe is still grandfather's axe (just different from before). The same for Theseus' ship; no matter how many parts may have changed or been replaced, as long as Theseus was still the master of that ship it remained Theseus' ship.
The paradox arises when the axe that once was grandfather's is passed on to someone else. How much change can a new owner make to it before it is no longer grandfather's axe?
Consider the following situations:
Can the handle be shortened and it still remain grandfather's axe? I would say yes, because it can still be used as an axe and it retains almost all of the original item.
Can the handle be removed and it still remain grandfather's axe? I would say yes, because it can be restored with a new handle to function just as grandfather's axe did
AND the business end of the axe (its head) is still from grandfather's axe.
Can the head be replaced on the handle of grandfather's axe and it still be grandfather's axe? I would say no,
because the functional piece that defines an axe (its head) is no longer from grandfather's original axe.
The paradox resolves to the question of what are the
essential elements that define the object in question once its descriptive ownership is terminated. In the case of grandfather's axe, I maintain it is his axe head.
Ian.
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Originally Posted by fearn
I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the "grandfather's ax" paradox (aka the Ship of Theseus paradox). If grandfather's ax has had it's handle changed three times and its head twice, is it still the same ax? If you prefer the classical version, Theseus' ship had every plank, mast, and fitting replaced over the course of its voyage. Is it the same ship?
F
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