Single Idea 6860

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 1. Perception]

Full Idea

If one takes a spectrum of colours from yellow to red, it might be that given a series of colour samples along that spectrum, each sample is indiscriminable by the naked eye from the next one, though samples at either end are blatantly different.

Gist of Idea

How can one discriminate yellow from red, but not the colours in between?

Source

Timothy Williamson (Interview with Baggini and Stangroom [2001], p.151)

Book Reference

Baggini,J/Stangroom,J: 'New British Philosophy' [Routledge 2002], p.151


A Reaction

This seems like a nice variant of the Sorites paradox (Idea 6008). One could demonstrate it with just three samples, where A and C seemed different from each other, but other comparisons didn't.

Related Idea

Idea 6008 Removing one grain doesn't destroy a heap, so a heap can't be destroyed [Eubulides, by Dancy,R]