Outside Color

A profound rethinking of the philosophy of color vision, using historical diagnosis to identify unconfronted assumptions inherited from Aristotle and drawing on recent science and philosophy to develop its own philosophical synthesis, in the spirit of ecological functionalism, which shows how colors can be real and yet be perceiver relative ways of perceiving things.

Gary Hatfield, Professor of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania; author of Perception and Cognition: Essays in the Philosophy of Psychology; and coeditor of Visual Experience: Sensation, Cognition, and Constancy

What Patricia Churchland did for the philosophy of mind, Chirimuuta does for the philosophy of color. By redefining the central question of what color is, Chirimuuta restores philosophy to a central place in science. She stays true to the beauty of color, with lyrical, lucid writing. Chirimuuta rejuvenates the ancient philosophical problem of color by siting it firmly in the contemporary science of vision. Scientists, philosophers, and anyone who loves a good metaphor will take pleasure from this book.

Anya Hurlbert, Professor of Visual Neuroscience, Newcastle University

Outside Color is a dazzling synthesis of philosophy, history, and vision science. Chirimuuta offers a heroic defense of adverbalism, rescuing this unfashionable theory of color perception from linguistically oriented philosophers and placing it on firm scientific footing. Essential reading for anyone interested in what colors are and where they are located.

Jesse Prinz, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Graduate Center of the City University of New York

Chirimuuta's book is everything a history and philosophy of science book should be. The historical analysis informs the philosophical arguments and the philosophy elucidates the history. And all this with close attention to the details of scientific methodology. It is for anyone interested in color, philosophers, historians, and scientists alike.

Bence Nanay, Professor of Philosophy and BOF Research Professor, Centre for Philosophical Psychology, University of Antwerp; Senior Research Associate, Peterhouse, Cambridge University; and author of Between Perception and Action

The most important work on the philosophy of color and philosophy of perception published in recent decades...

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