Philosopher Julian Baggini on the Importance of ConvivialityGabe Ulla

Julian Baggini is a UK-based writer and philosopher. He is the Founding Editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine and has contributed to several publications, including the Guardian. His most recent book is The Virtues of the Table: How to Eat and Think.

We invited Baggini to MAD4 to give one of the first talks of the symposium, to set the stage and explain the significance of sitting around a table and sharing a meal. During his talk, he also took aim at of-the-moment inventions like Soylent, which are based on the idea that most food should be ingested purely for survival. Cooking, to Baggini, is fundamentally human and always involves the people, animals, and values that make the act possible. 

Here are some other recently released videos from MAD4:

- Soba Master Tatsuru Rai opening MAD4

- Yale Professor Paul Freedman on the history of the celebrity chef

- Legendary French chef Olivier Roellinger on the duties of chefs