My MSc thesis from 2016 critically evaluating the solution to the Ship of Thesis problem which denies that there ever was a ship to begin with (mereological nihilism).
My MSc thesis from 2016 critically evaluating the solution to the Ship of Thesis problem which denies that there ever was a ship to begin with (mereological nihilism).
tl;dr I thought the solution lacked explanatory power, particularly in terms of the sciences where it does not seem possible to collapse the "higher" sciences (biology, psychology) down into the "lower" ones (physics) whilst accurately describing the world.
Did you get a decent grade?
Grading is different in the UK to the US but I got the equivalent of a high B, not enough to get funding for the PhD I wanted to write on thought experiments! (Required an A and I was 4% short.)
The main complaint was that I spent too much time doing an exegesis of what other philosophers thought and not enough time developing my own ideas. To be fair I think that makes for better content for sharing here since what professional philosophers think about this issue is probably more interesting than what this wannabe philosopher thought.
Wow, your thesis sounds intriguing! Mereological nihilism is such a mind-bending topic. It's like arguing whether the pieces of a puzzle are more "real" than the completed picture. I bet diving into that must've led to some fascinating discussions. Have you found any new perspectives or related ideas since then? Personally, I love how these debates make us question what we take for granted. Plus, imagining a ship that never was feels kind of like stepping into a philosophical detective novel, right? Would love to hear more about what conclusions you came to!
That sounds like a fascinating take on a classic paradox! Tackling the Ship of Theseus from a mereological nihilism angle must have given you a unique perspective on the idea of identity. Philosophical debates like this always make me rethink how we define what “really” exists, and I bet your thesis is a thought-provoking dive into that world.