【Workshop(s)】Philosophical reflections in the kitchen

course features-- 1. Emphasis on both practicality and fun: In this course, we will explore the relationship between food and culture in an interesting way. Even if you have no clue about Western philosophy, don’t worry! We will take you into this mysterious world in a simple and easy-to-understand way, allowing you to appreciate the philosophical beauty of food culture with laughter. 2. In-depth theoretical discussion: This is not only a course about cooking, but also an adventure about thinking. We will dig deep into the theoretical connection between food and culture, allowing you to feel the charm of philosophy while learning, and light up your cooking journey with the spark of thought. 3. An intellectual feast for the body, mind, and soul: The lecturer, Mr. Wang Zhongshan, not only has a rich philosophical background, but is also a private chef. He will personally demonstrate cooking from a kitchen perspective, allowing you to understand the theory through practice and enjoy the fun of learning. 4. Communicate and get to know people with similar interests: We not only stay at the theoretical level, but also have interesting practical assignments. Interactive discussions with classmates stirred up sparks in the lecture hall, and you made new friends with food enthusiasts! 5. Anyone who loves food or philosophy is welcome: This course is suitable for everyone who loves food culture! Whether you want to recharge your soul, be curious about philosophy, or enhance your depth of thinking, let us explore philosophy in the kitchen and start a spiritual journey with food! Course Introduction--- The word "taste" seems to have multiple meanings in modern Western languages, whether it is taste in English, Geschmack in German, goût in French or gusto in Italian: it can refer to A person's taste object can also refer to his aesthetic appreciation ability. If we trace the historical development of language, as early as the seventeenth century, humanists related it to human culture (cultura). However, due to the subsequent development of the history of philosophy, the relationship between the word taste and education gradually strengthened in terms of aesthetic appreciation, but gradually weakened in the sense of taste objects. Along with this development, it also included "refined art" The rise of the concept of (fine art). Can and how can a person's taste be related to personal upbringing? What is the significance of this education? Can it only be related to the ability to discern subtle differences? Can it be extended to personal and social virtues? What does “delicious” food really mean? This course will provide a further theoretical explanation of the relationship between food and culture, and hope that through the experience of various demonstration cooking, the implementation of homework, and the sharing of participating students, we can jointly think about a basic core issue: human beings. Why cook for others? This course will focus on cultural education. Through the analysis of each course, we will delve into the conceptual significance of cooking as cultural education. The ideal target audience for this course includes anyone who is interested in exploring food culture in a theoretical and philosophical sense, people who have a mission for home cooking as culture and education, and professionals who are engaged in the catering industry and want to enhance their cultural depth. Participants do not need to have any background in Western philosophy. The lecturer will lead everyone to engage in philosophical thinking in the kitchen in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. Class Schedule--- Lesson 1: Cooking as Culture 4/23 (Tue) 18:30 - 21:30 Eating is a survival activity that all animals and plants need, but only humans are different from other creatures: humans cook food in a variety of ways. However, why did people invent and need cooking? What is the scope of cooking? In this course, we will conduct a practical analysis of culinary concepts: Is deliciousness purely sensory or does it include cognition? Are there objective standards? Is it benefit (nutritional) or aesthetic (delicious)? Later, we will reflect on the concept of The Culinary Triangle by Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908-2009), and then return to the ancient Greek Plato’s concept of beauty, goodness and life. Think about the relationship and try to find reasons for cooking as a cultural device. Course Demonstration Cuisine: Salt and Pepper Dragon Ball Tart Lesson 2: Homo culinarios Cooking as the art of time 4/30 (Tue) 18:30 - 21:30 All philosophers seem to point the skills of craftsmanship to "time": whether it is the relationship between making objects and time, the time required to hone skills, and even last and most importantly, the inheritance of human wisdom in history and time. We will try to explore at these three levels how skills - especially cooking skills - generate, refine and preserve meaning (that is, "being" as used in philosophy) in these times, and how they point to " real". Course demonstration cooking: Sichuan style bacon rice with homemade 28-day sauerkraut and bacon Lesson 3: Taste as a cultural upbringing 5/7 (Tue) 18:30 - 21:30 Since the Enlightenment in the West, the concept of "taste" has undergone a series of drastic changes. In the seventeenth century, "gusto" (gusto) was still closely linked to taste among the five senses, and was regarded as the "most animalistic" but also the "most inner" sense. What is revealed in the difference of taste (enjoyment or rejection) is not simply animal drives, but something between animal drives and spiritual freedom. Therefore, traditional humanists discovered here the possibility of a culture (cultura). Course demonstration dish: Spaghetti al Pomodoro with fresh tomatoes vs. canned tomatoes Lesson 4: Food as a work of art; cooking as an artistic creation 5/14 (Tue) 18:30 - 21:30 Any in-depth discussion of food philosophy will ultimately face an extremely difficult question: To what extent can cooking skills be called an art? The 20th century philosopher Hans Georg Gadamer put forward the view that art should be regarded as a human game (Spiel). For him, both creators and appreciators are just players. The key point is "what" we can play in it, that is, the truth that art can express and that people living in time and history can understand. From this point of view, just delicious food cannot be called art. If the fine of fine dining can be compared with the fine of fine art, it must break through the delicious and exquisite presentation. So what else is needed for food to be called a work of art? Course demonstration dish: Daylily Tartar Bass (tentative) Lesson 5: Why cook for others? Service/Dignity of Dienst 5/21 (Tue) 18:30 - 21:30 Let’s be honest, cooking for others is a service. Under the guidance of this concept, it is easy for us to think that the person being served is the superior person, and the server is the inferior person. Some familiar sayings such as "customer-oriented" also construct this type of idea. But in fact, the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in the early 19th century had explored the relationship between the two, and made an evaluation on the dignified value of self-awareness that modern people consider to be the most important. : Compared with the person being served, the server has more dignity in service. This unique viewpoint not only allowed the West to transform the aristocratic qualities of traditional knights and court ladies into their service industries, but after being spread eastwards, the Japanese further developed the service spirit of the traditional Bushido, namely おもてなし (hospitality). Furthermore, contemporary feminist philosophers even believe that Hegel's view implies a unique insight, that is, human dignity is indispensable with female characteristics: just like a mother feeding her children, the service provider is actually culture A noble cultivator of the spirit. Course demonstration dishes: Pingtung cocoa, Henqi AMA Jufeng liquor tiramisu The dining table in Class 6 serves as an art gallery and life school 5/28 (Tue) 18:30 - 21:30 There is a Western proverb: Manners maketh man. (Manners maketh man.) This is probably consistent with the famous saying of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, the father of French gastronomy, "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es" (tell. I will tell you what you are.) Similarly, cooking, food utensils, and dining methods should all reflect the wisdom that people have learned in history and contemporary times when facing nature and others. Some festive foods that may not be delicious but have cultural significance also repeatedly reflect Plato's intellectual perspective on "memory" (ἀνάμνησις): memory does not go back to the past, but brings the past to the present. Therefore, we can be sure that at the dinner table, people connect with living history, others and nature, and thus help themselves understand how to face their limited selves and live out what Socrates called "an examining life." Course Demonstration Dishes: Salad Rolls with Oil and Vinegar Sauce Instructors--- Wang Zhongshan is a philosophical researcher who loves fireworks in the world. Although I spent ten years studying the metaphysics of Hegel (1770-1831), a 19th-century German idealist who is said to be far away from the belly and the world, I still firmly believe that there is only one world in the end, and all Culture, art and even religious ideas are reflected in the exquisite taste of that delicious bite. Having taught at a university for many years, I feel very sad that most modern people live in food deserts and can only lie around asking each other for their next meal all day long. I also feel very sad that some young people regard chain fast food restaurants as their lifelong favorites. I couldn't understand it, so I angrily turned to the study of food philosophy, hoping that philosophy could help people have the possibility to reflect on the most basic life activities. - Ph.D., Department of Philosophy, National Chengchi University - Adjunct Assistant Professor, Center for General Education, Taipei University of the Arts - Adjunct Assistant Professor, Center for General Education, National Taiwan Normal University - The Studio private chef