The Demiourgoi

Version 1.1 of 6/3/2010-1:14 p.m.

"It's turtles all the way down!"

This particular night after I prayed a lot, a ten-hand, ten-feet, ten-head and ten-eyed creature shows up, which claims its name was Shiva:

-The structure. Tell me about the structure please.

-You are a brain in a vat.

-And a malicious demiourgos above me is pulling the strings and is creating the connections on my brain?

-Exactly.

-This is very disappointing, to say the least, sir!

-Indeed, it is. What you don't quite realize though, is that this demiourgos is not quite as powerful as you imagine.

-How so?

-Unbeknownst to him, he is a brain in a vat as well.

-Then, a malicious demiourgos above him is pulling the strings and is creating the connections on his brain?

-Exactly.

-This is also very disappointing, to say the least, sir!

-Indeed, it is. What you don't quite realize though, is that even this demiourgos is not quite as powerful as you imagine.

...

-I see. This means that there is an infinite ascending chain of demiourgoi.

-Exactly.

-This is very disappointing, to say the least, sir!

-What is truly disappointing is not the fact that there is an infinite chain of malicious demiourgoi above you, rather that this infinite chain wraps around under you in a circle. In effect, you yourself, are one of the malicious demiourgoi.