Are colors only visible?
Many suppose colors are mind-independent. And in general, mind-independent features can be accessed in various ways – shapes, for example, can be seen or felt. Colors, however, can supposedly only be seen – all experiences of color are visual experiences. Why? I argue that there is no good answer, and many reasons for doubt; I conclude that if colors are mind-independent, they can probably be experienced non-visually. This might sound like a Berkeleian reductio, but I argue that my conclusion isn’t absurd. So, if you already think colors are mind-independent, you should embrace the result rather than changing your mind.
Authors
- Alex Kerr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0157-2540)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Inquiry
- Published
- 2026-09-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174x.2026.2708314
- Primary Topic
- Categorization, perception, and language
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00