Pet Paradoxes, in all timelines (no real spoilers)

[fury_of_the_forests]

I've been rewatching Arcane, this time with Riordon (somewhat by force, admittedly) largely because I wanted to discuss it's themes with someone. I've consumed A LOT of critical analysis related to the 'sisters' character arc, and I DO feel that some of that (ie: Powder/Jinx's identity) is clearly part and parcel with the issue of identity (if this is not clear enough subtext, it becomes full blown TEXT in S2E8), but I've seen folks dismiss the Jayce/Viktor arc as being too convoluted, but I find it the most interesting in part because it IS subtle, it IS complex, it is also very rarely addressed in pop media AND it is not completely separate from the concept of identity. In fact, I'd argue that Powder/Jinx represents this on a personal/micro level, and Jayce/Viktor represent it on a much larger, macro, and universal level.

The Theseus Ship paradox has always been my pet thought experiment. Like, I think knowing that is integral to knowing ME, it's been so important to my foundational thought processes for a very long time - long before I even understood 'philosophy' was an area of study. I instinctively applied to it humans, rather than ships, or axes, or knives. I've come to no concrete determination (I don't even know how folks would come to immovable positions on such things) - I'm not strictly team bundle theory nor team ego - but I find it a comforting perceptional puzzle to pull out on any cozy evening and play with.

So when considering this as pertains to Arcane, and specifically the Jayce/Viktor arc(s), there's an aspect of determinism and fate that interests me deeply. Can there be some aspect of the self that is so untransmutable that fate - not just in a personal sense (though certainly that), but also in something more universally impactful - can hinge on that trait? And if so, what kind of trait would that be?

Comments

[ofearthandstars]

I haven't watched Arcane (L. has), and this makes me want to watch it more. (So unfortunately I cannot speak to the character identity/arc and determinism/fate). But the idea of an untransmutable trait makes me think of the research around butterflies that shows that they retain "memories" of their prior experience as caterpillars despite having been broken down into their most essential parts and completely rebuilt into something very different. I realize that a species-specific metamorphosis is not quite the perfect metaphor, and yet - if the very essence of a "mind" or "self" can exist through that and carry an imprint of a memory, then it seems there could be something to the idea that some form of "self" can be retained even through a complete change of identity. (Apologies if this is way off the mark with where you were going, as noted, I am unfamiliar with the series, but the Theseus Ship Paradox is something we love around here, too.)

[fury_of_the_forests]

That is ABSOLUTELY where I was going. What a great and interesting parallel!