I love your final line. She may have indeed. In attempts to explain
historical phenomena the historian often ends up, not explaining
anything but merely naming what was to be explained. "Public Apaathy,"
for example, explains nothing; it is merely a name of what needs to be
explained -- and at some point, it's turtles all the way down.

Carrol

Tom Gray wrote:
> 
> Russell was attempting to find a basic set of axioms that would provide the basis for all mathematics. This was the culmination of a quest that was a major focus of mathematics throughout the 19th century. The quest was unsuccessful and Godel proved that it was impossible. So, at least with respect the Russell and mathematics, it is turtles all the way down.
> 　
> One of the fears of physicists is that there may be no single unified theory. The basic constants may turn out to be arbitrary. So for physics as well, it may be turtles all the way down.
> 　
> The little old lady may have been on to something.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Carrol Cox <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Wed, January 13, 2010 10:36:27 PM
> Subject: Re: Eliot's poetry: the medium & the message
> 
> Diana Manister wrote:
> >
> > Dear Jonathan,
> >
> > Wasn't it Joseph Campbell who used to tell that cosmological story
> > about "it's turtles all the way down"?
> 
> It has multiple soures. Some of them must be made up.
> 
> The one I heard is that Bertrand Russel was giving a public lexture. In
> the question period a 'little old lady' (it is always little old ladies
> in these legends) said that the truth was the  universe rested on the
> back of a gian turtle. Russel then asked her what the turtle rested on.
> Her reply, "You can't fool me young man, It's turtles all the way down."
> 
> Carrol
> 
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