Sunday Sermon: The Five Modes

Sextus Empiricus’ “Outlines of Pyrrhonism, Part 1” Chapter 15:

Of the Five Modes

The later Sceptics hand down Five Modes leading to suspension, namely these: the first based on discrepancy, the second on regress ad infinitum, the third on relativity, the fourth on hypothesis, the fifth on circular reasoning.

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An Act Of War By Any Other Name

Imagine if Mexico decided the US needed “regime change” after Donald Trump gets elected, and then began destabilizing the country by pouring weapons and support to anti-government militias. But then, the Cliven Bundy militia in Utah breaks away and begins trying to establish the sovereign state of Utah. So the Mexican air force begins launching air strikes against the Bundyites. The US, to counter-balance the Mexicans, invite the Canadians to help. Then ensues a crazy proxy war, with the Mexicans bombing parts of Utah while the Canadians are bombing the Mexican-sponsored insurgency. Somehow none of this is warfare. It’s just a great big bomb-b-que or something.

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