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Introduction
Can a meal be a work of art? Do eating and drinking afford experiences that qualify as “aesthetic”? If so, how do the artistic or aesthetic aspects of foods relate to ethical issues? While moral questions about eating have been under philosophical discussion for a long time, its place in aesthetics is more recent, and the relationship between ethical and aesthetic value is as contentious with food as it is with art.
Eating is both a biological necessity and a cultural practice. Every living creature must nourish itself; however, necessary sustenance often comes at the expense of the life of some other living thing. This fact alone opens ethical questions if one considers eating another sentient creature a practice with moral standing. What is more, habits of eating reflect upon character – for eating can be greedy or abstemious, convivial or solitary, enthusiastic or inattentive. Questions about...
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Korsmeyer, C. (2019). Aesthetic Value, Art, and Food. In: Kaplan, D.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1179-9_23
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