A Companion to Public Philosophy

18Public Philosophy and Food: Foodies, Ethics, and Activism

SHANTI CHU

1 Introduction

You’re about to meet your friends for brunch at the new Pacific‐coast‐themed cafe you read about in Eater. There are at least 20 different kinds of avocado toast and 30 different types of Boba tea lattes, and don’t forget the immune‐boosting power of turmeric ginger lattes. As you wait to be seated, you notice the neon signs in every corner of the cafe with messages like “Good Vibes Only” and “I Live to Eat” in modern cursive. A flurry of TikTok/Instagram “influencers” are posing in front of these signs, and the others are at a table nearby taking numerous photos of the toasts and lattes on their iPhones and furiously uploading their posts.

As you hungrily scour the menu, you notice at least four non‐dairy milk options and gluten‐free avocado toast options galore. After brunch, you go home to watch Top Chef and feel inspired to cook something “healthy‐ish.” It’s time to peruse the New York Times recipe section, and you make a spiced chickpea coconut curry. Two hours later, you are satisfied and proud, and you post about your latest cooking adventure on Instagram.

In the twenty‐first century, food has become a ubiquitous cultural commodity and American obsession.¹ Celebrity chefs, food documentaries, and social media “foodie influencers” are just an amuse‐bouche of how pervasive food has become in our lives. This chapter explores the ethical, cultural, and political implications of food through ...