# Talk:Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Tim riley, An excellent rewriting which I thoroughly enjoyed. Only a few small trifling comments from me:

Shouldn't Ancien Régime be italicised throughout?
"the new regime": as this is in English, it shouldn't carry the accent
Check the inconsistency in serial commas (you both use and don't use it – "Rabelais, Voltaire and Rousseau" Vvs "port, Madeira, and punch", for example)
I hope these are useful, and I look forward to seeing this with a green cross at the top. Cheers - SchroCat (talk) 16:43, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

They are indeed useful. Thank you! Tim riley talk 18:37, 27 May 2023 (UTC)
And now attended to. Tim riley talk 10:34, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

I came looking for the original publication date of Physiologie du goût and am surprised to find it's not mentioned. I've found it (1825) on the French Wikipedia article (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiologie_du_go%C3%BBt), and suggest it might be appropriate to include it here.
ӎᴀʀ ₲₳ƝϪѲƝƋ 10:08, 22 June 2023 (UTC)  — Preceding unsigned comment added by MarGanxona (talk • contribs)  

@Tim riley: Is there any chance this is related to the expression "you are what you eat"? — VORTEX3427 (Talk!) 16:08, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

I have no expert knowledge at all of this, but I suspect there is no direct connexion, similar though the sentiments are, or may be thought to be. In the 1860s, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote, "Der Mensch ist, was er ißt" (Mankind is what he eats), but a swift Googling shows that the modern phrase you quote is chiefly associated with an American nutritionist, Victor Lindlahr, who put forward the "you are what you eat" line in the 1930s and 1940s. I have not seen anything to suggest that either Feuerbach or Lindlahr was consciously reflecting Brillat-Savarin's thoughts. Tim riley talk 16:42, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

Regarding this edit, I do not have full access to David's book, but my very incomplete impression is that David is not solely saying cheese is fattening, but also that it is unnecessary added calories. Anyone following Brillat-Savarin's guidelines would for a meal have plenty of food to sustain them by the time dessert came around... but of course, neither David nor Brillat-Savarin were claiming otherwise.
Regardless, it isn't for us to imply that Brillat-Savarin was incorrect or was being hypocritical by advocating cheese as a dessert, so that wording was not appropriate. An opinion essay from 1984 or earlier is not exactly a WP:MEDRS, and it's not clear that this comment from David provides clarity on Brillat-Savarin specifically. Of course, if an WP:IS talks about David's comment, that would provide context. Grayfell (talk) 20:52, 21 April 2024 (UTC)

It is appropriate in a "Reputation and influence" section: we're not advocating either side here, we're covering Brillat-Savarin's writings and other people's reactions to and thoughts on them. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:18, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
I think in a subtle way it is taking a side, but I guess I haven't managed to explain that very well.
I introduced the word "apparently" to that section in an edit summary, but that was not intended to be in the article. So who is this apparent to? Is supposed to be apparent to us from the preceding paragraph, or was it apparent to David per the source? If it's to David, the paragraph should be reorganized to make that clear. If we're telling readers that it is apparent to them, it's a subtle bit of editorializing. It does help with the flow of the article, but editorializing is still editorializing. Grayfell (talk) 21:37, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
I'm not sure—I'd say the latter—but I can't say that it is editorialising, even subtly: stating that something is "apparent" should be above board in Wikipedia's book, and isn't on the no-no list at WP:EDITORIALISING, which bans more expressive terms (happily, interestingly, aptly etc). I'd say Tim riley could probably answer your question better than me. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:46, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
I'm uncertain what point is being made here. Brillat-Savarin devotes several pages, between pp. 216 and 226 in my edition, to foods to be avoided because fattening; cheese is not among them. Mrs David's comments on his dictum can be found on p. 178 of An Omelette and a Glass of Wine. Tim riley talk 07:16, 22 April 2024 (UTC)