Ship of Theseus

The Ship of Theseus is a replacement paradox also known as Theseus's paradox.

The Tin Woodman's story

L. Frank Baum played with this paradox in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At one point the book tells the story of a lumberjack named Nick Chopper. One day a witch cast a spell on Nick's axe, and it cut off his leg. He proceeded to get the leg replaced with a tin prosthetic leg, only to have the enchanted axe chop off the other. He then replaced that missing leg with a tin prosthetic, only to have the process repeat itself with both his arms, torso, and eventually head. By the end of the ordeal, Nick was entirely made out of tin replacements, yet still living, and had become the Tin Man. In a later book, the paradox is further satirized when the Tin Man meets his old flesh body parts, which have been re-assembled with magic glue. Nick's former girlfriend is not sure whom to love.

Related Topics:
L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Tin Man

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