Color has been a favorite example of philosophers ever since David Hume worried about the missing shade of blue, but most of their thought experiments, we can now see, have been misinformed. Thomson shows how current work in science on the nature of color and color vision transforms our philosophical vision of colors, clarifying (if not settling) new controversies while closing down old--and eternally tempting--confusions. Informed philosophical discussion about color begins here.
Daniel C. Dennett, Tufts University
Product Description
This book is a major contribution to the interdisciplinary project of investigating the true nature of color vision. In recent times, research into color vision has been one of the main success stories of cognitive science. Each discipline in the field--neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, computer science and philosophy--has contributed significantly to our understanding of color.
Evan Thompson provides an accessible review of current scientific and philosophical discussions of color vision. He steers a course between the subjective and objective positions on color, arguing for a relational account. Thompson develops a novel "ecological" approach to color vision in cognitive science and the philosophy of perception. The book is vital reading for all cognitive scientists and philosophers whose interests touch upon this central area.