Title: The Authority of Hunger

Abstract: In this talk, I canvass moral considerations that suggest that hunger is morally authoritative. What’s more, trying to circumvent our hunger via current surgical and pharmaceutical technologies is risky, unpleasant, and often ineffective. I conclude by considering the case for avoiding even “silver bullet” appetite suppressants, for the sake of avoiding bodily self-alienation, enjoying the pleasure and sense of community that comes from satisfying our hunger (often in the company of loved ones), and also for the sake of resisting the oppressive norms of fatphobia.