The Liberty Principle

Abstract

The story of Theseus’s killing of the Minotaur ends in tragedy — the death of the hero’s father, Aegeus. Theseus had agreed at the start of his voyage that, were he successful, he would hoist a white sail on his homecoming ship. If, on the other hand, he were slain, his crew would return home under the power of the original black sail. Theseus slew the Minotaur, and after various distractions and adventures, finally set sail for home. But he omitted to swap the sails. His father espied the ship in the distance, and quite rationally assumed Theseus had been killed in a failed mission; for the Minotaur was a fearsome beast, and Theseus generally kept his word. According to one version of the story, despondent, he took his own life by leaping from the Acropolis. Let us suppose you knew, it does not matter how, that Theseus was alive and successful. Benevolent concern for Aegeus would at least give you a good reason to attempt to tell him the truth about his son’s mission before it was too late. But suppose you are unable to persuade him in time; for he rationally has great confidence in his son’s reliability, you are a complete stranger, and in any case you do not speak the same language as the King. Under the circumstances, to delay would signify unacceptable irresolution on Aegeus’s part, so there is no time to lose. What should you do?