The Philosopher, Ch. 1

This was not mentioned previously but

the Zen Guy had an older brother.

He rarely mentioned him.

He avoided him. 

The feeling was mutual.

In any event, they found themselves together over New Years.

Alone and unencumbered.

To their surprise, they found that they both mutually admired the writing of Ted Chiang.

For the Philosopher, the "Tower of Babylon" was an affirmation of his project all along.

Which was this:

The bridging between the human and divine. 

The Philosopher saw this directly in the "Tower of Babylon"

and in every other human pursuit reflected in Chiang's opus, be it mathematics, linguistics, genetics,

and theology.

The Philosopher found in Chiang (unlike the mortal in Michelangelo),  an active striving to reach the divine.    The finger extended by the mortal to God was fully erect, not lazily extended.
:-).