Hedonics

Alfred North Whitehead is often (mis-)quoted as observing that western philosophy consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.

In a more general sense, the whole of western civilisation strikes me as an (albeit interesting) appendix to the glass of red wine, plate of cheese and bowl of olives, e.g. a collection of 'nice-to-haves'.

I read recently how archaeologists have unearthed amphorae at Tintagel in Cornwall dating to the late fifth century — when all around the world was in ruins — which show signs of having contained wine and olive oil. Nearby were found some examples of fine tableware of the same period.

Maybe they no longer had underfloor heating or built-in plumbing, yet such things are not necessarily prerequisites for the good life — just as long as that boatload of goodies kept coming from the Med every so often.

Instead of learning to make bullets, Eugene in The Walking Dead should be producing CHEESE.