Philosophy’s Chignell edits book on ethical eating

"Everyone is talking about food. Chefs and food critics have become celebrities. To state that food production and consumption are increasingly in the public eye is to understate the point," writes Andrew Chignell , associate professor of philosophy, and his two co-editors in the introduction to "Philosophy Comes to Dinner: Arguments about the Ethics of Eating" (2016). Yet, they contend, while there is agreement our eating habits and food system are in need of an overhaul, there is no clear idea about which principles should guide the discussion. Historically, philosophers haven't often weighed in on the issue of food, they say, but one aim of their book is to show "arguments about food are of great philosophical interest and that the conclusions of those arguments will matter to many of us." The book includes contributions from 15 authors on topics ranging from factory farming to artificial ingredients. Other editors are Terence Cuneo of the University of Vermont and Matthew C. Halteman of Calvin College. Part of the book focuses on dietary ideals, explaining different dietary systems and providing practical instructions on how to live out those ideals.