The Is and the Ought
Our freedom cuts between
A Villanelle New Year Reflection — Write Under the Moon
The lessons we forgot,
Old promises we keep,
The is and the ought.
The visions that we sought,
Both past and future seen,
The lessons we forgot.
The casters of our lot
And makers of our dreams,
The is and the ought.
The battles we once fought,
The dark and bitter scene,
The lessons we forgot.
Our suffering for naught?
The images rent deep,
The is and the ought.
The ancient Gordian knot,
Our freedom cuts between
The lessons we forgot,
The is and the ought.
the original idea is often attributed to David Hume, for further study, see:
Is-ought problem - Wikipedia
The is-ought problem, as articulated by the Scottish philosopher and historian David Hume, arises when one makes claims…en.wikipedia.org
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I like this a lot. I had not thought of freedom this way. I first read it as freedom being between the is and the ought, not as alternatives but as poles for behavior.
OK Bob, I think you have it. There’s no pandering here. This is just “in your face“. I’m so delighted that you wrote this because you wrote it in a way that requires one to actually ponder meaning. But if you know the meaning like you do and like I do no pondering is necessary. This is almost a sequel to “freedom means“. Except now the wound is not just festering. It’s openly bleeding and groaning.
It was very necessary for you to write this “in your face“ sonnet. Because obviously nobody else listened for the last four years And all people really care about is how much money is in their pockets. The ignorance from the last tally is flagrant. And now I know that I am in a distinct minority. I think I shall stay there and simply love.
I think it’s time for us all to revisit why we go to church on Sundays. Why do we listen to the gospel? Why do we just continue on with business as usual? Oh, I know,The Is and the Ought…