The Birth of Philosophy and the Contempt for Food

The history of philosophy of food is an unhappy one. It seems that only by denying the relevance of food for a happy life, philosophy could establish itself as a serious branch of knowledge: this is what I call the philosopher's incoherence. First with the Greeks, philosophy want to get rid of the body, or at least, to elevate the mind above the body; later, after the Renaissance, production of food, maintaining bodies and eating were seen as rather secondary activities that one should try to minimize as possible in the palace of reason. There are some interesting exceptions in the history of the philosophy of food that can function as starting points for the contemporary reflection on food and eating. This reflection is at present rather urgent due to the societal problems with food, in particular the global ones of hunger and obesity, but also because of the competing food styles like fast food and slow food and their implications for the environment and animal welfare. In particular Immanuel Kant's ingredients for a theory on the social meaning of food production and consumption can be helpful in building a livable palate of reason