Wednesday 5 September 2012

Greece: Scepticism and Pyrrhonism

Bertrand Russell, On the Value of Scepticism

"A story is told of Pyrrho, the founder of Pyrrhonism (which was the old name for scepticism). He maintained that we never know enough to be sure that one course of action is wiser than another. In his youth, when he was taking his constitutional one afternoon, he saw his teacher in philosophy (from whom he had imbibed his principles) with his head stuck in a ditch, unable to get out. After contemplating him for some time, he walked on, maintaining that there was no sufficient ground for thinking he would do any good by pulling the man out. Others, less sceptical, effected a rescue, and blamed Pyrrho for his heartlessness. But his teacher, true to his principles, praised him for his consistency."

Q. What action would Pyrrho take if he could return to contemplate the current state of Greece and its economy?

Another thought for the day-  by G. K. Chesterton:

"We men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty".

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