More Philosopher Limericks

So do I exist or  not?

Well, I just had a sentient thought.

And I cannot be dead

With these thoughts in my head

And I think them; I think them a lot!

Francis Schaeffer
When sin becomes cause to rejoice,
And "right to life" changes to "choice"
When the foundations give,
"How then should we live?"
We can justify raising our voice!

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Man is naturally good and born free
His children conceived equally
Society corrupts him
Enslaves and bankrupts him
So I'm giving my children to Thee

 








Ludwig Wittgenstein
"Do away with explaining",  he explains
For words are all subject to change
There is no deeper meaning
Just descriptions convening
What I mean is ...no meaning remains.

Coral Skies at Seven

I was surprised by coral skies
With bits of golden at the edges
And pastures gray which grimly lay
beneath the fog that swathed the sedges

I ventured out on a country road
Where the noise of traffic could not follow
And soothed my eyes with the flaming skies,
With the solid hill and the wispy hollow

And standing speechless all alone
Surrounded by Heaven's lush display
A bare-boned tree, amazed, like me
Sighed a quiet song as we started the day.

A delicate song that matched the mist
on its fragile way to vaporize
A peal of praise for this day of days
And the lavish beauty of coral skies

Asturias (Three Word Wednesday)

He hails from the Land of Asturias
But his careful Castilian is curious
I'd caution, "Be wary
Suspicious and chary".
It's inevitable that he be spurious







This "Three Word Wednesday" our given words were curious, wary and incredible.  While seeking a rhyme for the word curious, I stumbled upon this beautiful principality on the Northern coast of Spain.

 It has its own language, although the people also speak Spanish, and a rich history of independence, kings and castles.

The Capital city of Oviedo is one of the safest in Europe.

And it seems to be a hiker's paradise.

Beaches

Mountains











Picturesque little towns.  How enlightening Three Word Wednesday can be! Especially when I choose to write a limerick.

That, students, is one of the reasons I force you to write structured poetry.

Philosophical Epitaphs

My seniors are doing a brief study on philosophy and, in order to help them learn a little bit about several famous philosophers, I've been writing limericks about them. There's something ironic about condensing a man's life into five lines...particularly men as verbally prolific as all these guys. I know I wouldn't want just anyone to summarize my life like this...unless I  had a  hand in the creation of the summary.  Maybe it's not even forgivable, but it helps me remember who they were, and maybe it will help my students as well.

 

Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzche shook off all Deity’s commands

Postulated a strong “Superman”

“God is dead!” “It’s too sad!”

Then he died—raving mad

Cause he couldn’t "wipe the blood off his hands".

 

Immanuel Kant

Beyond God and nature he stood,

So what was the source of all “good”

The “Thing in itself’”

Sat on too high a shelf

Attain it? Well Kant never could.

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis, though once a contender

Became a strong, Christian defender

"Surprised" through the years

"By his joys" and his fears

He discovered the truth in surrender.

Bertrand Russell

He “pursued what was gentle and wise”

A society where  “envy dies”

He chased “beauty”,   “nobility”

“Insight” and “gentility”

Did he reach it? Just ask his four wives.

Blaise Pascal

Pascal wagered, “What if I choose

To have Faith, and abide by those views

If death proves me right

I gain Paradise

If it proves me wrong, what do I lose?