The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature | National Humanities Center

Work of the Fellows: Monographs

The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature

By Leon R. Kass (NHC Fellow, 1984–85)

Eating; Rituals

New York: Free Press, 1994

From the publisher’s description:

What is the full meaning of eating? What does it reveal about the soul? What is the meaning of human omnivorousness and the myriad customs that refine human eating, transforming animal feeding into human dining? This book examines the phenomena of eating, natural and cultural - from metabolism, appetite, and taste, to hospitality, table manners, and the ritual meal, and reveals how eating not only feeds the body but also nourishes the soul.

Subjects
Philosophy / Anthropology / Eating / Rituals /

Kass, Leon R. (NHC Fellow, 1984–85). The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature. New York: Free Press, 1994.