Single Idea 4934

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 4. Cultural relativism]

Full Idea

We seem to have a set of colour axes (red-green, blue-yellow, and light-dark). Color naming in different cultures tend to have universal categories based on these axes, with a few derived or composite categories (e.g. orange, purple, pink, brown, grey).

Gist of Idea

Cultures have a common core of colour naming, based on three axes of colour pairs

Source

G Edelman / G Tononi (Consciousness: matter becomes imagination [2000], Ch.13)

Book Reference

Edelman,G/Tononi,G: 'Consciousness: how matter becomes imagination' [Penguin 2000], p.159


A Reaction

This confirms my view of all supposed relativism: that there are degrees of cultural and individual relativism possible, but it is daft to think this goes all the way down, as nature has 'joints', and our minds are part of nature.