Single Idea 15061

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / d. Secondary qualities]

Full Idea

As long as colour terms pick out fundamental physical properties, I would be willing to countenance their use in the description of Reality in itself, ..even if they are based on a peculiar form of sensory awareness.

Gist of Idea

Although colour depends on us, we can describe the world that way if it picks out fundamentals

Source

Kit Fine (The Question of Realism [2001], 8)

Book Reference

-: 'Philosophers' Imprint' [-], p.26


A Reaction

This seems to explain why metaphysicians are so fond of using colour as their example of a property, when it seems rather subjective. There seem to be good reasons for rejecting Fine's view.

Related Ideas

Idea 5456 Redness is not a property as it is not mind-independent [Ellis]

Idea 9118 The colour bands of the spectrum arise from our biology; they do not exist in the physics [Sorensen]

Idea 4049 The way in which colour experiences are evoked is physically odd and unpredictable [Goldman]