Table of Contents

1. Introduction / 2. Can food be beautiful? The debate about food from Antiquity to the Renaissance / 3. 'Literal taste' and 'Critical taste' in the Enlightenment / 4. Kant and the New Concept of the Aesthetic / 5. The Rise of Gastronomy: The Cooking, Presentation, and Consuming of Food / 6. Expressionism: 19th century Debates About the Aesthetic Nature of Food / 7. Modernism and Medium Specificity: Could There Be a Naturalist Aesthetics of Food? / 8. The Institutional Theory of Art: Could Some Food be Art? / 9. Post-modernism and the Challenge of Artificial Flavors / 10. The Philosophy of Wine / Bibliography / Index

About the Author

Kevin W. Sweeney is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tampa.

Reviews

In this welcome addition to the growing philosophical scholarship on food and drink, Kevin Sweeney situates the subject historically and within a context of art theory that is often overlooked. His careful analysis of the aesthetic standing of taste and the artistic claims for cuisine displays a sophisticated acquaintance with gastronomic culture as well as analytical acumen. The book will be read with interest by student and scholar alike.
*Carolyn Korsmeyer, Professor of Philosophy, University of Buffalo*

Professor Sweeney’s book comprises an engaging march through the history of philosophy, showing how many eminent thinkers have reflected on the beauty of food. The historical analysis is bolstered by contemporary examples—including Ferran Adrià’s molecular gastronomy—and the writing is both lucid and accessible to non-specialists. This book is an exceptional accomplishment and highly recommended.
*Fritz H. Allhoff, Professor of Philosophy, Western Michigan University*

After a deeply insightful assessment of philosophical ideas on the aesthetic of food from Plato and Aristotle to Beardsley and Dewey (including a fascinating comparison of Kant and Brillat-Savarin), Sweeney brilliantly reframes the “is fine cuisine fine art?” debate by reflecting on 21st century revolutionary cuisine (Adrià, Achatz, Blumenthal, etc.) in the light of trends in contemporary art and aesthetics since Post-Modernism. Along the way he develops conceptual distinctions that advance the discussion of the aesthetics of food within philosophy, yet he does all this in an engaging style that should be accessible to both undergraduates and general readers.
*Larry E. Shiner, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, History, Visual Arts, Villanova University*