"Some ancient Asian cosmological views are close to the idea of an infinite regression of causes, as exemplified in the following apocryphal story: A Western traveler encountering an Oriental philosopher asks him to describe the nature of the world: “It is a great ball resting on the flat back of the world turtle.” “Ah yes, but what does the world turtle stand on?” “On the back of a still larger turtle.” “Yes, but what does he stand on?” “A very perceptive question. But it’s no use, mister; it’s turtles all the way down.”"
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Original Language: English
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Carl Sagan, Gott and the Turtles (1974), essay published in Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science (1979)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down
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Turtles all the way down
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