Philosophers at Table

In this book, Raymond D. Boisvert and Lisa Heldke explore what happens when philosophers ask 'how are we to eat?' This simple question is dense with interpretations, reflecting the complex roles food plays in our lives - roles that are increasingly fraught, in an age characterized by fears about food safety; worries about environmental damage; and concerns about cultural sensitivity. It's difficult to imagine an activity more philosophically charged than eating. In addition to the latest thought in the field Philosophers at Table takes in literature, myth, history and film to make the case for a 'stomach-endowed' philosophy. The short story and film Babette's Feast serves as the starting point for an argument for hospitality as the central ethical virtue. A comparison between a fast food meal in Accra, Ghana, and a fine dining experience at a Spanish restaurant dedicated to 'molecular gastronomy' launches a discussion on the nature of food as art. And an unpleasant encounter with a slug introduces a reflection on tasting as a model for knowing. A surprising, original take on something we all do every day, yet rarely think about in any depth.
Philosophers at Table invites readers to use their relationships to food to investigate the philosophical scaffolding that undergirds their own lives.