Theseus’ Ship: A Possible Response from an Indian Realist

This article will critically examine the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika theory of substance (dravya). The Buddhists are reductionists, who believe that there is no substance over and above its attributes (guṇa) or parts (avayava). Thus, a pot is a set of a certain shape, size, color, texture, etc. But the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika philosopher thinks that a pot is a substance that houses all of its attributes and actions (karman). It holds all these together. Also, it binds its parts. Although the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika school defines a substance, it does not seem to offer any theory of the diachronic identity of a substance; it does not discuss a Theseus’-ship-like case. In this article we shall offer a theory of diachronic identity of a substance based on a Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika definition of substance.