A STORY WITHIN A STORY

Lazy Dean Jones would ask other profs to lecture to his classes, then record the lectures to play again later.I consented to lecture for him.

I started out solemnly, deploring the unserious attitude in so many classrooms.
A student: “Don’t you ever tell jokes?”

“Hell, no.Students are frivolous enough !
However, if a humorous story illustrated well a philosophical point, that would be different:
for instance, to illustrate the difference between Kant’s HYPOTHETICAL imperative (Do A IF you want B), vs. CATEGORICAL imperative (Do A no matter what you want!) --
This story might illustrate that distinction:
--
Mrs. O’Malley came home bruised and scratched. She explained
to her astonished husband:
“The Doctor told me to bring in a Specimen.
I asked Mrs. Malanaphy if I could borrow hers.
She admitted she also didn’t understand;
but said I should ask the nurse Mrs. Murphy.”

Husband: “But you don’t get along with…”

“I know, but I was willing to forget the awful things that woman has said about me. I asked her how I’d go about getting a Specimen.

“She told me to go piss in a bottle!
I told her to go shit up a rope,
AND THE FIGHT WAS ON!”
--
Student: “Did you tell THAT story to your class?”
“Oh,no, I wouldn’t dare—but this is Jones’ class!”