The neo-positivist stance is by far the dominant discourse of our age. Roughly put, it sees the world as an orderly cosmos. It believes that humans can navigate, deal with and master it to their advantage, and that knowledge (particularly scientific knowledge) can curb the anxiety and uncertainty of living-and-dying.

Lyness' built-up pilings were not high enough to keep the ground floor above water during this flood.

When we confronted her, she gave us a hasty, incoherent explanation.

He said it with malevolence.