The Bow of Theseus

A real life, massively restored Ship of Theseus

Archers often find themselves confronting one of philosophy's older questions without ever realising it. Philosophers call it "The Ship of Theseus". Most British readers of a certain age know it as "Trigger's broom". The question is simple: if every part of something is replaced over time, is it still the same thing?

According to Greek mythology, the hero Theseus sailed a ship that was kept preserved in a harbour as a historical monument. Over centuries, wooden planks rotted and were swapped for new ones. Eventually, every single original piece was replaced. At what point is it no longer the same Ship of Theseus? If you want a more pop culture version ... In the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Nag's Head road sweeper Trigger proudly tells his friends that he was awarded a medal by the town council for saving them money. He explains he has used the exact same street-sweeping brush for 20 years. However this quote kinda gives it away "Well, this old broom has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time." So .. is it the same broom?

Archers confront this question surprisingly often without realizing it. Our editor's competition bow has had new limbs, a new sight, new stabilisers, a new button, several new strings and enough replacement parts over the years to qualify for organ donor status. No, it's not a new bow .. it's just his usual bow. Why do you ask?

It can be said that on a recurve, the riser is the heart and soul of your bow. So as long as you have that, its the same bow. But Euan recently lost his riser to damage when a limb bolt snapped. Now, every part of his bow is the same EXCEPT the riser. Is it the same bow? Philosophers might debate these things with deeply contemplative thoughts like "this isn't a physical object, its a construct of a conscious mind". Which is about as much use to an archer as a clicker is to a certain level one coach we know.

Compound of Theseus being rebuilt for the 5th time today

Archers do negotiate the conundrum of "is this my bow?" by treating the changes as evolutions. To an archer there is little practical difference between a new set of limbs and winding in the limb bolts. From changing a button's settings to installing a new button. From bending your old clicker to generate more noise, to using a new louder clicker. From moving your sight two clicks left to buying an entirely different sight because somebody on the internet said it grouped better. We are tinkerers by nature and the central paradox of The Ship of Theseus is going to pass us by .. as we make the 27th change to our bows this week!

Going deeper down the rabbit hole, an archery club is itself a Ship of Theseus. Over the years, a different committee. Different members. Different coaches. Different bosses. Different field. Different website. Yet people say "I've been shooting at Glasgow for twenty years." The club has changed almost completely in that time, but somehow remains recognisably the same thing. That's because while archery clubs themselves are collections of constantly replaced parts, they are held together by continuity and most importantly shared stories. Tall tales, storms, record scores, Captain Sausage feeding the 5,000 at the annual American, and occasionally someone demonstrating why arrows have pointy ends by stabbing themselves in the leg. The lore defines the club. New members arrive having never met the people who created those stories, yet before long they're telling the same tales as if they'd witnessed them themselves. To paraphrase a line from Raiders of the Lost Ark ... "we are simply passing through history. The club ... is history."

However, there is a practical archery answer to the Bow of Theseus. If every part of your bow has been replaced, is it still the same bow? Of course it is. Unless you're filling in insurance paperwork. Then it's a completely different bow worth considerably more than the old one.

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Editor's note: The original draft of this article had several sections rewritten and numerous jokes replaced before being published. Whether this remains the same article is left as an exercise for the reader.

Clyde puffer VIC 32's history can be read here