Eating In A Manner Which Is

From Discourse 18A, "On Food," in which Musonius Rufus applies Stoic ethics to dietary habits. His argument is that elaborate and expensive eating necessarily involves injustice in the supply chain: exotic foods require merchants who deal dishonestly to source them, and cooks who employ deceptive arts to disguise poor ingredients or manufacture artificial cravings. Simple food, by contrast, can be obtained and prepared without moral compromise. This critique of luxury dining was unconventional even in Stoic circles and shows the extent to which Musonius sought to apply philosophical principles to every aspect of daily life.