Taste

Taste is a peculiar thing. It is one of the five senses we all share, a combination of nose and tongue, yet it also names an entirely subjective set of personal preferences that goes well beyond what we like to eat. This is why taste is a major problem for scientists and philosophers. If everybody’s sensory faculties work more or less in the same way, then how are we to explain the infinite variety of tastes that make us unique and our lives so interesting? In this class, we are going to do just that. We will consider theories of taste from the eighteenth century to today, including how critics, scholars, and scientists have attempted to define taste and to refine it. Beyond these questions, we will put theory into practice by tasting our way through some of the many artistic, literary, and culinary riches New York City has to offer. Over the course of our class, you will keep a "taste journal" that you will develop into a research paper. Bring your appetites!