tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post113324194110711632..comments2023-10-30T11:13:44.310-04:00Comments on The Ethical Werewolf ‡ by Neil Sinhababu : The Utilitarian CookbookUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1150208388634632472006-06-13T10:19:00.000-04:002006-06-13T10:19:00.000-04:00Conservatives descend philosophically less from Be...Conservatives descend philosophically less from Bentham than from Burke, Locke, Hume, and Mill. Supplying the greatest good for the greatest number assumes you have a government ready and willing to do that, whereas conservatives would prefer that everyone pursue happiness as free, independent individuals. <BR/><BR/>Artists tend to be liberals these days because they think the government should pay for paintings and sculpture that they can't sell in the marketplace. No more Medicis; the big spenders are in government. <BR/><BR/>It's a big mistake to confuse Epicureans with hedonists. That's like confusing gourmets with gourmands. <BR/><BR/>As for utilitarianism guiding cooking, it's true that the best cooks make the most out of whatever ingredients they have at their disposal, and that they find a balance between extremes of sweetness and sourness, and spiciness and blandness. <BR/><BR/>Wherever there are communists, there is a shortage of everything to cook with. That shows you where socialism takes you, liberals.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133493984659206052005-12-01T22:26:00.000-05:002005-12-01T22:26:00.000-05:00As cooking is an art, and art is for liberals (can...As cooking is an art, and art is for liberals (can this be argued against?), I'd say that the best cooks are liberals. The reason it is a secret is they just appreciate the art of it too much to crave glory.<BR/><BR/>I, liberal, make the best burgers on the planet, and yes, great burgers are truly an art. ;)<BR/><BR/>Cheers!Cathiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07291479913130967235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133326561305234612005-11-29T23:56:00.000-05:002005-11-29T23:56:00.000-05:00Dave,Are you kidding? Alton? Pragmatic? I love him...Dave,<BR/>Are you kidding? Alton? Pragmatic? <BR/><BR/>I love him dearly, but what he is is an obsessive-compulsive food nerd who is crazed about technique and hygene. <BR/><BR/>I consider Rachel Ray a much more practical cook, when it comes to food network personalities.Battlepandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04842340982653417060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133302375297186672005-11-29T17:12:00.000-05:002005-11-29T17:12:00.000-05:00Ah! I found the name of the saint who mixed ashes ...Ah! I found the name of the saint who mixed ashes into his food to make it taste bad! It was Saint Francis! Funny, because I'm reading Eco's <I>Name of the Rose</I> right now, which is all about Franciscans, or something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133289586316741122005-11-29T13:39:00.000-05:002005-11-29T13:39:00.000-05:00My apologies, battlepanda. It wasn't my intention ...My apologies, battlepanda. It wasn't my intention to smear ribs. My main point is that if Tollefsen wants to claim good cooking to be the exclusive province of conservatism, he hasn't been paying much to the rugged, hypermasculinist mythology that conservatives in Washington and various state capitals have created around themselves: contemptuous of the arts, scorning material comfort and indulgence, narrowly conformist with regard to aesthetic tastes and preferences.<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying that conservatives have bad taste because they enjoy ribs. I'm just saying that the idea of a tough, male conservative with Philistine tastes, who sneers at liberals with their fine food and drink, is deeply rooted in conservative mythology. This doesn't disprove Tollefsen's point, but his assertions of conservative superiority in the kitchen would be a lot more plausible if he at least addressed it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133287386319350242005-11-29T13:03:00.000-05:002005-11-29T13:03:00.000-05:00Oh, and Julian,Don't dismiss ribs. They can be som...Oh, and Julian,<BR/>Don't dismiss ribs. They can be some of the finest eating when cooked to perfection. My favorite place for ribs is the Three Pigs and a Lady restaurant in Galax, VA., doused in mountain barbeque sauce. Heaven.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133287264584664972005-11-29T13:01:00.000-05:002005-11-29T13:01:00.000-05:00The problem with a utilitarian cookbook is that a ...The problem with a utilitarian cookbook is that a utility maximizing recipe for you might not be a utility maximizing recipe for me. For instance, if I am time rich and cash poor, there is no more utilitarian treat than bread, as flour is so cheap but homemade bread so indescribably tasty. However, a time poor cash rich individual would find all the kneading, rising, shaping and baking poor investment indeed. <BR/><BR/>Also, there is the little matter of meat. Whether the utility generated from eating tasty animals makes up for the disutility of animal suffering is a very personal matter. For me personally, I try to eat ethically raised when I can. But you have a different conception of what is acceptable. Other utilitarians might reject that animal suffering have much utilitarian value at all, etc. etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1133282873188305832005-11-29T11:47:00.000-05:002005-11-29T11:47:00.000-05:00I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I'm a so...I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I'm a sorta vague sentimentalist, not a utilitarian (I hear Hume was also a good cook, so perhaps sentimentalists are the best cooks). The utilitarian cookbook sounds good, though.<BR/><BR/>Utilitarians should make good cooks, because they take physical, carnal pleasure seriously. Also, note that Utilitarianism is something of a philosophical descendent of Epicureanism (Epicureanism is egoistic hedonism, Utilitarianism is universal hedonism), which is synonymous with good cooking. I can imagine a Kantian cookbook, which would probably be healthy (fulfilling imperfect duties to oneself and all that) but tasteless (why make it taste good? There's nothing morally worthwhile about pleasure, you degenerate!).<BR/><BR/>Most conservatives are neither utilitarians, Epicureans, or Kantians, but rather divine command theorists with regard to morality. Making good food is a waste of time -- thyme? -- when you should be preparing for heaven. Neither taste nor healthiness are particularly relevant. I can't remember who, but I remember some saint from the middle ages who carried ashes with him and sprinkled them in any food he was going to eat to make SURE that it didn't taste good.<BR/><BR/>Since Epicureanism has largely died out, in theory, I would expect Objectivists and other egoists to make the best cooks. After all, they have all of the regard for the finer things in life that utilitarians do, but without any of the moral restrictions on matters like economizing on shared resources, treating animals well, economizing on one's own consumption so that more is available to help others, etc. However, <A HREF="http://www.pandagon.net/archives/2005/06/shudder.html" REL="nofollow">Objectivists aren't very good cooks, apparently</A>.<BR/><BR/>Tollefsen's assertion is puzzling, because I thought that conservatives prided themselves on their bad cooking. Isn't part of the generic smear against liberals something along the lines of "fine wine-drankin', cheese-eatin', surrenderin', elitists," and part of the conservative self-image drinking Budweiser with bibs and ribs? Conservatives can't be both the anti-culinary finery party AND the good cooking party! Come on! I suspect that George Bush, being a wealthy, well-bred man, has better taste in food than he lets on, but he would never admit to, say, disliking Philly cheesesteaks or freedom fries or whatever. His dad couldn't admit to liking broccolli. (I suspect that Clinton's taste for junk, on the other hand, was pretty authentic)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com