Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe
Turtles is much older than Discworld. I saw it first in a Bertrand Russell book. One of the possible sourced from wikipedia:
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Well, the 17th-century philosopher John Locke did consider an elephant-tortoise combination:
"If any one should be asked, what is the subject wherein colour or weight inheres, he would have nothing to say, but the solid extended parts; and if he were demanded, what is it that solidity and extension adhere in, he would not be in a much better case than the Indian before mentioned who, saying that the world was supported by a great elephant, was asked what the elephant rested on; to which his answer was--a great tortoise: but being again pressed to know what gave support to the broad-backed tortoise, replied--something, he knew not what."
[
Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II, 23, 2.]