Abstract
While philosophers have raised many interesting questions concerning the ethics, aesthetics, and politics of food, philosophy of science has paid little attention to the nutrition sciences. In this symposium we bring together philosophers and a scientist to explore conceptual and empirical challenges facing this largely unexplored domain. Our contributions will involve: 1) analyzing philosophical misunderstandings of evolutionary nutrition science concerning the role of adaptationist explanations; 2) offering a scientific perspective on conceptual problems facing nutrition research and one promising framework to address them; 3) providing a qualified defense of nutrient reductionism and the utility of nutrient-level explanations; and 4) exploring the epistemic and sociopolitical issues in personalized nutrition. Together, these unique contributions will help pave the way for a philosophy of the nutrition sciences.
