Orthodox physics from the 16th century onward has converged on a single theory of colors: there are none. How can this be? How can we—who rely on vision perhaps more than any other sense to navigate the world; who suppose that the colors of things explain why we stop at red lights; who deem differences of perception, such as “color blindness,” pathologies—possibly find ourselves in a world entirely bereft of color? This “classical” problem has grown only sharper and more pressing with advancements in our understanding of human visual anatomy and the nature of light. How does the structure of color space—such that pink is desaturated red, or vermilion is more similar to scarlet than it is to burnt orange—relate to the distinctive anatomy of our visual system? What makes it true—if, indeed, it is true—that cherries are red and not neon green? And what does the reality (or lack thereof) of color tell us about what empirical knowledge we can hope to acquire from conscious visual experience?
In this course, we will explore the problem of color in its various historical and contemporary manifestations. Students will examine competing accounts of the metaphysics of color and other sensible qualities, and take up the philosophical problem of perceptual knowledge. We will also explore approaches to color theory and to mapping the structure of color space. Along the way, we will consider the relationship between metaphysical accounts of color and approaches to color in other domains of inquiry, examining visual illusions and hallucinations, comparative visual anatomy, and colors as aesthetic qualities. What explains the delight we take in chromatic experience—the “pleasure we derive,” as Aristotle put it, “from mere perception, and most of all vision”? Readings will include selections from Galileo Galilei, John Locke, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Albert Munsell, Josef Albers, Mazviita Chirimuuta, Susanna Siegel, and others.
There *is* no physical Brooklyn Institute. We hold our classes all over (thus far) Brooklyn and Manhattan, in alternative spaces ranging from the back rooms of bars to bookstores to spaces in cultural centers, including the Center for Jewish History, the Goethe-Institut, and the Barnard Center for Research on Women. We can (and do) turn any space into a classroom. You will be notified of the exact location when you register for a class.
Instructors will contact students approximately one week prior to the first class with reading assignments and details about the course location.
