Le goût de la sagesse : Sénèque et les assaisonnements

Abstract

In his work, Seneca violently condemns the use of seasonings, both because of the nature of the ingredients which make them up and because of the circumstances that go along their use. The use of spices is not only damaging to the health of the body, owing to indigestions it causes, but it also is to the health of the soul, as it is at the service of a vice, that of gluttony. Feeding oneself in a sophisticated way is to go against the will of Nature which provides simple and nourishing food to mankind. The attitude of the Stoic wise lies in a dietary asceticism that aims to satisfy hunger, and not to artificially stimulate it.

Keywords

• Seneca
• food
• seasoning
• cooking
• medicine
• philosophy