Turtles all the way down
"Turtles all the way down" is a jocular expression of the infinite regress problem in cosmology posed by the "unmoved mover" paradox.
See also Recursion.
Description
The metaphor in the anecdote represents a popular notion of the theory that Earth is actually flat and is supported on the back of a World Turtle, which itself is propped up by a chain of larger and larger turtles.
Questioning what the final turtle might be standing on, the anecdote humorously concludes that it is "turtles all the way down".
The expression is an illustration of the concept of Anavastha in Indian philosophy, and refers to the defect of infinite regress in any philosophical argument.
Contrary to most extant western references, it is not a popular Hindu belief. Rather, it is a widely accepted principle in Indian philosophy, commonly used to reject arguments for a creator God or "unmoved mover".
The phrase has been commonly known since at least the early 20th century.
A comparable metaphor describing the circular cause and consequence for the same problem is the "chicken and egg problem".
The same problem in epistemology is known as the Münchhausen trilemma.
External links
- Turtles all the way down @ Wikipedia
