It's turtles all the way down
Meaning
This phrase describes a situation of infinite regress, where every explanation or foundation itself requires a further explanation or foundation, without ever reaching a definitive base.
Origin
Imagine an old woman listening intently to a learned lecturer describe the Earth's place in the cosmos. 'The Earth,' he declared, 'is a sphere revolving in space.' 'Nonsense,' she retorted, 'it's flat, and it rests on the back of a giant turtle.' The lecturer, amused, pressed on, 'And what does that turtle stand on?' Without missing a beat, she famously replied, 'Ah, that's easy! It's turtles all the way down!' This whimsical anecdote, with roots in ancient Hindu cosmology, became a vivid metaphor for the philosophical problem of infinite regress, where every explanation requires a further, never-ending explanation. Popularized by thinkers like William James and Bertrand Russell in the 19th and 20th centuries, it captures the human desire for a foundational truth, and the unsettling realization that sometimes, there isn't one.
Examples
- When trying to understand the fundamental particles of the universe, some theories feel like it's turtles all the way down, with no ultimate layer of reality.
- Her argument about the origin of consciousness eventually dissolved into "it's turtles all the way down," lacking any bedrock principles.