Seminar with Kai Whiting

Art of Living Permanent Seminar

Session III
Kai Whiting, "How Might a Stoic Eat in Accordance with Nature and 'Environmental Facts'"
Discussant: Ana Falcato

13 November | 15h00-18h00 | Colégio Almada Negreiros - CAN 209

Abstract

This paper explores how to deliberate about food choices from a Stoic perspective informed by the value of environmental sustainability. This perspective is reconstructed from both ancient and contemporary sources of Stoic philosophy. An account of what the Stoic goal of “living in agreement with nature” would amount to in dietary practice is presented. Given ecological facts about food production, an argument is made that Stoic virtue made manifest as wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance compel Stoic practitioners to select locally sourced, low resource input, plant-based foods whenever circumstances allow.

Kai Whiting is a university lecturer and researcher based at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. His specialist subjects are Stoicism and sustainability.