Examining the Body and Soul by Focusing on the Eating Habits of Human Beings

743 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Rousseau's views on human nature

Examining the Body and Soul by Focusing on the Eating Habits of Human Beings

The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Human Nature, by Leon Kass takes a unique view of examining the body and soul by focusing on the eating habits of human beings. He uses this in order to distinguish humans from animals and the divine element (God). In this book, Kass touches on the point of sanctified eating. In Kass' final chapter, he looks at the "created order", the dietary laws in the chapter of Leviticus in the Holy Bible and the problem of eating. Not only do these sub-chapters actually give a good sense of what humans are in the design of divinity, but it also shows how far human beings have to go in order to be close to the divine power of God.

In the first chapter of the Holy Bible, Genesis, God creates the world. In this creation he creates man on the same day, yet man stands divine like at the peak of the creatures. Rousseau, in the Second Discourse, recalls that when he was a beast he ate mainly fruits and nuts. Eventually, he rose to his human status and began to eat meat. One must face the idea that animal meat, not fruits and nuts, is "the human food." Kass later on discusses how vegetarians seem to alter the balance of nature and fails to distinguish between man and animal by only eating vegetables, fruits and nuts. According to Genesis, the early ancestors were originally strict frugivores (fruit pickers), but when God restarts the human race again with Noah, he then shows the hierarchy of humans and animals. He then brings humans to the point that they are to eat animal flesh in order to balance the nature of the world. Human beings, although being praised for being superior, are animals both in their nature and in their origins. According to Aristotle, the soul, though thought by humans to be the only creatures to obtain it, is more that consciousness and is acquired in all animals even plants. Even in Genesis, God thought that animals and humans should be similar in this fact in order to be his companions. Though Genesis discusses creation of the "humanity" of the human being, Leviticus brings forth the dietary laws in which humans must obey when looking for divinity.

Show More
Related

  • An Edible History Of Humanity Summary

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book tells the history of human civilization through the development of our food production and culture. A highly relevant book to present although food is a special type of natural resource or products hereof and history is a wider subject than conflict. The gradual transition towards hierarchical social order is described. Especially the significance of irrigation is compelling.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Soul Food

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    Soul Food explore the hardships and trials of black family life, and through the characters, setting, and theme of both the story and the film, the issue of class and the search for community is discussed. Big Mama wanted her family to come closer. The more she tried, the farther apart they became. During her struggle, she encountered many obstacles including her own son 's beliefs, but she did not let them curve her appetite to gain higher status in society.

    Read More

  • Ishmael: Religion and Agriculture Destructive Towards Man’s Future

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, man has lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, supporting himself by hunting animals and living off the land around him. This lifestyle is considered to be living in the hands of the gods. Meaning, the gods decide man’s fate, including who should live and who should die, and what resources would be available to him. As a result, man was considered equal to animals, neither one was more powerful than the other. This meant man would have to compete to survive like all animals do. Because of this competition, man would have to evolve. Evolution was necessary in order to support and prevent man from becoming extinct. Man evolved from Australopithecus all the way to Homo sapiens sapiens, which is today’s mankind. However, around 10,000 years ago or in 8000 B.C., man believed he was meant to rule and conquer the world and decided to take control of his own life and take it out of the gods’ hands. By doing this, man was suggesting that the gods were not needed any more, and instead were fine without them. In order to separate from the gods, man would have to become an agriculturist. This would require man to create his own food by harvesting and producing the necessary crops, maintain cattle, and settle down. Settling down would allow man to abandon the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and begin to produce more food than what is needed and save for hard times. Thus, allowing man to not worry about droughts or any other natural disasters that could cause him to have a shortage of food. According to Ishmael, agriculture and religion have both been destructive to man’s future.

    Read More

  • The Pleasures of Eating

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ences him in the poem by William Carlos Williams, “There is nothing to eat, seek it where you will, but the body of the Lord,” and this appeals to the reader’s value of faith and gives his argument credibility (23).

    Read More

  • Mosaic Dietary Laws

    4688 Words  | 10 Pages

    Early restrictions prior to the initiation of Mosaic dietary laws related directly to the belief that the human race originally consumed just vegetable products, and that it was not until the Flood and the prescriptions relative to Noah’s animal ownership that individuals were pushed to consume animal flesh (Genesis 9:3-4). Initially, it was recognized that animal slaughter was an unclean process, and further, from a historical perspective, it can be argued that the consumption of some animals was just unsafe. The lack of refrigeration and the prevalence of bacterial infection in the flesh of animals determined a lack of safety and the people of this region often saw illness related to meat consumption as ...

    Read More

  • Thesis Statement On Soul Food

    1492 Words  | 3 Pages

    This research paper is for those who tend to eat food specifically geared toward their culture and have never veered from it. One would see this research essay as a form of reference/reasoning to their many questions regarding the upheld idea that soul food is the only predominant food choice in the typical African Americans home. It also signifies the reason it is held at the highest standards of those within the African American race/community. It also centers around those who wish to enjoy other foods, but are culturally stuck to eating only things that are generalized to what is considered a norm within their community or race. My goal is to educate those who have been deterred from trying new foods, due to lack of support

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Veganism

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    People will argue that eliminating meat intake means eliminating the source of protein the body needs; however, this is not true because meat is not the only source of protein. Beans, soy, quinoa, seeds and nuts are packed with protein and is considered vegan (Fetting-Schlerf, 2012). In actuality, vegetables are packed with protein as well. Broccoli contains more protein than steak and spinach contains about the equal amount as chicken and fish (Stoll, 2013). People will argue that animals cannot perceive pain, but do not be deceived as for animals do feel and understand the pain. Benjamin Franklin said, “all the inferior creatures when hurt do cry and fend forth their complaints to their maker.” Humans and animals are created by the same God. However, humans neglect and refuse to treat animals with respect. Human see animals as a source of food, fashion and a

    Read More

  • Nutritionism Essay

    1615 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nutritionism is an ideology that believes that the nutrients in foods are the key to understanding them. Nutritionism believers are so focused on the nutrients that food contains that they forget about all other aspects of food. The problem is that consumers rely on packaging to tell them what nutrients a food provides, since nutrients cannot be obviously seen, and they rely on science to tell us what nutrients are good and which are “evil”.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Eating Behaviors on our Health

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overall, our bodies are a battle ground in which we fight off or surrender to society's projection of what beauty is. We eat for either nutrition, to socialize, to control our bodies or to explore worldly cuisines. The way I ate is highly influenced by the way in which society flows around me.

    Read More

  • Eating in a Social Context

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    When eating takes place in a social context, people tend to eat more than they usually eat when the individual is alone. The quantity of food eaten by an individual is positively associated with the amount of people present (de Castro, J.M, 1994). Using the example of Esma- a girl of normal body weight who has recently been invited to a birthday dinner with her boyfriend and people whom she is not familiar with- the purpose of this essay is to determine how eating in a social situation with other people encourages an individual to eat more than when eating alone. This occurs due to a number of influential factors, such as; social facilitation and social approval. Furthermore, this essay will not only show how being in a social setting encourages an individual to eat more but also how lack of trait empathy can influence a person to eat less in a social setting.

    Read More

  • An Edible History Of Humanity Summary

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our history is defined by human beings who live, died and will live on this planet. We are living, and with everything that lives there is a condition to our life; we must have food. Food, something that some may take for granted today, has always been with us every step our evolution and it is with this mutual relationship that all of human history can be told by our sustenance. It is seen in our agriculture from the miniscule stalks of maize of the Americas to artificial monsters of todays “corn” fields, our necessity of it whether it be sold or eaten, and most importantly our hand in the shaping of our own environment.

    Read More

  • Mindful Eating Essay

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mindfulness unlocks your senses. It is the practice of being fully aware of what is happening within and around you in the moment. This is not easy to do! Practicing mindfulness helps people make better choices in regards to what and how they eat. There is a lot to learn here, but taking simple steps like noticing the smells, temperatures, textures and tastes of the foods in your meal is a good place to start. Mindful eating also requires you to reduce distractions such as physical, mental, social and emotional ones. People often find that they enjoy their food much more once beginning more mindful approaches to eating. Mindful eating also seems to improve food choices, in both what and how people eat. It essentially reshapes your relationship with food and makes eating more enjoyable because you learn your reactions to food preferences, habits and tastes.

    Read More

  • The Bible: The Origin Of Humans In The Bible

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Bible points out that God is the origin of life, is the creator of all life forms. The first story of the Bible is called “Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath”. The Bible story of creation made man actually have two completely different versions. First, from the opening to Genesis 2:3 is the first version, talking about the "six days" of creation, the authors used the Jews known to God (called Elohim) said to God, and mention that God made the plants first, then animals, and finally made the man and ...

    Read More

  • Reflection On Food Intake

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    I recorded my food intake for two seperate days during the week. I kept track of my food intake for Wednesday the 21st of March along with that Saturday, the 24th of March. There were a couple differences when comparing the two days after recording them and looking at my Meal Summary. I ate a variety of foods both days when looking through my Meal Summary. I ate plenty of protein and grains during those two days along with fruits. When looking at both Wednesday and Saturday I noticed that I ate more on a weekday rather than on a weekend day. I came to the conclusion that it is because I am much more busy during the week verse the weekend.

    Read More

  • My Eating Habits Essay

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    Previously to taking this class, I had never given much thought to my eating habits. I always thought of the way I chose to eat as one of those things I didn’t need to concern myself with too heavily now because I’m a young broke college student. The way I eat is pretty similar to the way most of my friends eat and when you live away from home, that seems like the norm for people in college. However, after applying what I’ve learned in this class to my life, I’ve realized that the dietary choices I make now affect not only my current health, but my future health as well. So overall, I would say that my eating habits are pretty bad, but I’m working on making them better.

    Read More

More about Examining the Body and Soul by Focusing on the Eating Habits of Human Beings

Open Document