Fact-Value Problem

Random thoughts coalesced on a major day of remembrance.

Perfection and good luck everlasting,
but does that exist a decade after
the Manhattan Gemini took a tumble
since the laws of gravity have remained
constant, just like the Ikaruga ship flip
battle between light and dark,
black and white, and belief and disbelief
in the objectively divine but the distinction
isn't that clear-cut when the moral actions
of individual players are involved,
preferences and traditions
have defined moral and legal codes
since the human inception
even if "is" does not
logically imply an "ought",
even though most people
don't have a problem with
deriving values from facts,
because people tend to be pragmatic
which may explain why atheists stay away
from large memorial gatherings,
because cold, hard facts can only
go so far, so Hume was right after all,
grieving compels feelings of an
external reality and a
loving, caring being
that set forth
this mortal mechanism,
this mortal coil as some other
famous poet once said,
so maybe the fact-value problem
is only a problem in certain contexts
like the moral one
in the philosophical domain,
not so much in the pragmatic domain,
and when the next tragedy occurs,
be it large or small,
the fingers or the toes or
the number of commandments
are counted on a constant basis
and we'll know that it has followed
the chain of perfection and good luck
everlasting to the point where faith
in something inexorably takes over.

Either way, faith sometimes, like rain, is a good thing.

Reviews

[Willowtree]

Great poem, facts may not always be true so we have to have faith at times.

[...]

. overwhelming ...
. and just effortlessly philosophical ...
. there are many layers and realms you traverse here ...
. and, that's a stellar last line ...

[Brad]

another metaphoric write with an intellectual slant

[Chris]

Coming to 'grips' with a "Present" world is not an easy task. "Knowing Things" and 'knowing' things is not the same. Ken, you don't just put down "pretty words" and 'opaque' references - granted I have a fair exposure to a world view and hence only miss a few of your verbal cues. I pause with you BECAUSE you've things to say that need being heard and I appreciate the effort you use.

Faith, like rain, is where and when we find it.

Chris

[NightShade]

You have left me with some things to ponder. Funny. I helped take down an old tree today (It was dead and a hazard) and for just a moment, was reminded of what day it is.