Assistant Professor of Philosophy Alexandra Plakias ’02 recently published a book titled Thinking Through Food: A Philosophical Introduction. The book, from Broadview Press, focuses on philosophical issues surrounding food production and consumption.
According to the publisher’s website, Thinking Through Food “begins with discussions of the metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics of food, then moves on to debates about the ethics of eating animals, the environmental impacts of food production, and the role of technology in our food supply, before concluding with discussions of food access, health, and justice.”
In a review of the book, Jill Dieterle of Eastern Michigan University called the book “a wonderful introduction to the philosophical issues surrounding food” adding that “it may be the best book on the market for courses that deal with such issues.”
Erin McKenna of the University of Oregon said the writing is “clear and approachable,” noting that Plakias “makes a case for how approaching philosophy through the topic of food can create a change in perspective that results in endorsing broad views of knowledge and aesthetics, as well as a kind of value pluralism.”
Plakias also recently published a review of Christian Miller’s The Character Gap: How Good Are We? in Philosophy News.
She called the book, published by Oxford University Press, an “accessible, engaging introduction to the moral psychology of virtue and vice.” She concluded by saying that those “looking for an introduction to the psychology of moral -- and immoral -- behavior will find this book to be an enjoyable read.”
