Alan Saunders Memorial Lecture 2016

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Susan Wolf

The Ethics of Being a Foodie

Foodies - people with an enthusiasm for the aesthetic pleasures of food, - are often looked on with moral suspicion. Some people find it objectionable (if not quite immoral) to spend a lot of money on restaurants or fancy cooking ingredients even if they have no problem with those who spend comparable amounts on the opera or on tickets to the World Cup. They react negatively to those who post food pictures on Facebook or who get excited about varieties of sea salt. 

Why is this? The lecture (by a self-identified foodie) explores the reasons behind this antipathy, and concludes that there are lessons to be learned for both the foodies and those who disapprove of them.