Objections to color skepticism

pp. 109-125

in: Charles Landesman, The eye and the mind, Berlin, Springer, 1993

Abstract

In this chapter, I will consider a number of fundamental objections to color skepticism.¹ An initial difficulty consists of an apparent inconsistency between the affirmation of color skepticism and the discussion that led up to it. In that discussion, various accounts of what colors are or could plausibly be identified with were reviewed and criticized. In addition, various remarks were made about the nature of color and the meaning of the words we use to talk about colors. It appeared as if that discussion presupposed that there are colored objects, the only question being to understand what that means. It looks, then, as if the assertion of color skepticism undermines the very presupposition of the arguments that were used to justify it.