Philosophy of Food Course Bibliography

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Introduction and Philosophical Starting Points (230 pages and films)

In the first few weeks of the course, we will sample work from each section of the course.

US Food System:

• Food, Inc., Fed Up, or Cowspiracy; read Marion Nestle, "Introduction: The Food Industry and 'Eat More,' from Food Politics, 2013. (1-27). These documentaries and Nestle's Introduction will quickly put a critique of the US Food System on the table.

Food Culture and History:

• Montanari, Massimo. (1996). Food is Culture, (1-26). Montanari takes us quickly into the intersection of history, anthropology, and philosophy of food by situating food as primordial culture.

Nutrition and Nutritionism:

• Pollan, Michael. (2008). Part 1: "In the Age of Nutritionism," In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (pp. 19-81). London: Penguin. Pollan gives us a quick introduction to "nutritionism" -- the idea that food just is nutrition, along with some analysis of the problems of nutrition science and nutrition policy. We'll read the rest of his analysis and recommendations in the first unit of the course.

Gastronomy / Cucina / Cuisine and Food Ecology:

• Gopnik, Adam, "Who Made the Restaurant?" from The Table Comes First, 2012, (1-57). Montanari, "Fire, Cooking, Cuisine, Civilization" from Food is Culture. Gastronomy is the study of food taste and satisfaction at the level of both plate and culture. We will look at some quintessential moments in the history of gastronomy, such as the birth of the restaurant, but also discuss contemporary gastronomic growth in coffee culture and beer culture.

Food Ethics:

• Singer, Peter, & Mason, Jim. (2006). Chapter 18: What Should We Eat? The Ethics of What We Eat (pp. 270-285): Rodale. There are legions of ethical and social justice issues in food. This chapter gives you an overview of the sorts of ethical problems connected with the production and consumption of food.

US Food System and Politics of Food and Western Diet (178)

• Pollan, Michael. (2008). Part 2: The Western Diet In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (pp. 83-132). London: Penguin.

• Pollan, Michael. (2008). Part 3: Getting Over Nutritionism: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (pp. 139-201). London: Penguin.

• Nestle, Marion. (2002). Chapter 1: From "Eat More" to "Eat Less" 1900-1990 Food Politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and health (pp. 31-50).

• Nestle, Marion. (2002). Chapter 2: Politics Versus Science -- opposing the food pyramind, 1991-1992 Food Politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and health (pp. 51-66).

• Zepeda, Lydia. (2007). Carving Values with a Spoon Food and Philosophy (pp. 31-43). Oxford: Blackwell.

Food Culture and History (200)

• Montgomery, David. (2012). Chapter 2: "Skin of the Earth" Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (pp. 9-25)

• Montgomery, David. (2012). Chapter 3: "Rivers of Life" Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (pp. 27-47)

• Montgomery, David. (2012). Chapter 4: "Graveyards of Civilizations" Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (pp. 49-81)

• Montgomery, David. (2012). Chapter 8: "Dirty Business" Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (pp. 179-215)

• Montgomery, David. (2012). Chapter 10: "Life Span of Civilizations" Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (pp. 233-246):

• Tannahill, Reay. (1988). Chapter 3: "Changing the Face of the Earth" Food in History (pp. 19-41).

• Tannahill, Reay. (1988). Chapter 4: "The First Civilizations" Food in History (pp. 45-59).

• Soler, Jean. "The Semiotics of Food in the Bible."

• Tannahill, Reay. (1988). Chapter 6: Imperial Rome Food in History (pp. 71-91).

• Wallach, Jennifer Jensen. (2013). Chapter 1. The Cuisine of Contact How America Eats: A social history of U.S. food and culture (pp. 1-31). New York: Rowman & Littlefield.

• Wallach, Jennifer Jensen. (2013). first 1/2. Chapter 6: The Pious or Patriot Stomach How America Eats: A social history of U.S. food and culture (pp. 143-150). New York: Rowman & Littlefield.

Nutrition and Nutritionism (209)

• Gratzer, Walter. (2005). Chapter 1: The Ravages of War Terrors of the Table: The Curious History of Nutrition (pp. 1-15). Oxford: Oxford UP.

• Gratzer, Walter. (2005). Chapter 2: The Scurvy Wars Terrors of the Table: The Curious History of Nutrition (pp. 16-35). Oxford: Oxford UP.

• Nix, Stacy. (2013). Chapter 2: Carbohydrates Williams' Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy (pp. 47-63): Elsevier.

• Moss, Michael. (2013). Chapter 2, "How do you get People to Crave?," Salt Sugar Fat. New York: Random House. (pp. 24-44)

• Nix, Stacy. (2013). Chapter 3: Fats Williams' Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy (pp. 31-46): Elsevier.

• Moss, Michael. (2013). Chapter 8, "Liquid Gold," Salt Sugar Fat. New York: Random House. (pp. 161-181)

• Moss, Michael. (2013). Chapter 11, "No Sugar, No Fats, No Sales," Salt Sugar Fat. New York: Random House. (pp. 236-263)

• Nix, Stacy. (2013). Chapter 4: Proteins Williams' Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy (pp. 47-63): Elsevier.

• Moss, Michael. (2013). Chapter 4, "Is it Cereal or Candy?" Salt Sugar Fat. New York: Random House. (pp. 68-94).

• Nix, Stacy. (2013). Chapter 7: Vitamins Williams' Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy (pp. 94-127): Elsevier.

• Gratzer, Walter. (2005). Chapter 8: Pradigm Postponed: the Tardy Arrival of Vitamins Terrors of the Table: The Curious History of Nutrition (pp. 135-161). Oxford: Oxford UP.

Gastronomy (Cucina) and Food Ecology (85)

• Barber, Dan. (2014). The 16.9 Carrot. In H. Hughes (Ed.), Best Food Writing 2014, (185-190).

• Barber, Dan. (2014). Introduction and Chapter 12 The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food, (1-21, 159-173).

• Barber, Dan. (2014). Chapter 30: Bread The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food (pp. 382-409)

• Andrews, Geoff. (2008). Chapter 2: The Critique of 'Fast Life' The Slow Food Story (pp. 29-47).

Ethics of Food (131)

• Estabrook, Barry. (2013). "Hogonomics." In H. Hughes (Ed.), Best Food Writing 2014 (142-149).

• Francione, Gary L. (2012). "Animal Welfare, Happy Meat, and Veganism as the Moral Baseline." In D. M. Kaplan (Ed.), The Philosophy of Food (pp. 169-189).

• Haynes, Richard P. (2012). "The Myth of Happy Meat." In D. M. Kaplan (Ed.), The Philosophy of Food (pp. 161-168).

• Singer, Peter, & Mason, Jim. (2006). Chapter 2: "The Hidden Costs of Cheap Chicken," The Ethics of What We Eat (pp. 21-37)

• Singer, Peter, & Mason, Jim. (2006). Chapter 4: "Meat and Milk Factories," The Ethics of What We Eat (pp. 42-69).

• Singer, Peter, & Mason, Jim. (2006). Chapter 9: "Seafood," The Ethics of What We Eat (pp. 111-135).

• Singer, Peter, & Mason, Jim. (2006). Chapter 17: "The Ethics of Eating Meat" The Ethics of What We Eat (pp. 241-270).

Course Reading page count: 1033 pages