Lightness and Brightness and Other Confusions

that without “benefit of logic” which ends in “mysticism, mixed with every
degree of philosophical irrationalism – – and sheer sentimentality and romantic
fancies.” (Langer 1957, p 60). Just the other way round and relating to
JOHN LOCKE 10 she claims that there is “no possible conflict between intuition
and discursive reason” (Langer 1957, p 66). Intuition is the fundamental
intellectual activity, which produces logical or semantic understanding. It
comprises all acts of insight or recognition of formal properties, of relations,
of significance, and of abstraction and exemplification. “Intuitions are neither
‘true’ nor ‘false’, but simply present” (Langer 1957, p 66). Hence they can
be described – at least in principle.
Even if researchers in the field of science nowadays seldom are absolute positivists,
the idea of an objective (non-human) world that, directly or indirectly,
can be empirically uncovered has a strong position in science. A strict scientific
perspective implicitly assumes an analogy between measurable facts and
perceived phenomena and there is a tendency to regard deviations from this
analogous relation as illusions, perceptual misunderstandings, subjective
distortions or methodological mistakes.
We experience colour and light intuitively as properties belonging to the
outer world, in this sense you could say that colour and light are the visual
world. In the physical world – beyond the reach of senses – the existence of
colour and light can only be demonstrated indirectly by measuring spectral
electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between approximately 380 nm
and 760 nm. This radiation can be detected by the human eye, but the rays
themselves are not visible. ISAAC NEWTON 11 remarked that “[t]he rays, to speak
properly, are not coloured. In them there is nothing else than a certain power
and disposition to stir up a sensation of this or that colour.” (Newton 1704).
Experience of colour and light is dependent on electromagnetic radiation but
the colour and lightness of an object are only to a certain degree dependent
on spectral distribution of the radiation that it reflects. ARNE VALBERG 12 states:
“The reflection properties of surfaces relative to their surround are more
important for colour vision than the actual spectral distribution reaching the
eyes.” (Valberg 2005, p 266). C. L. HARDIN 13 concludes: “There is no simple
analogous relation between the outer world and our experience of it.” (Hardin
1988, p xxi).
Philosophy – and epistemology – has taken a great interest in the relationship
between the inner and outer world. GALILEO GALILEI 14 made a distinction
10
English philosopher, 1632–1704
11
English physicist and natural philosopher, 1643–1727
12
Norwegian neurophysiologist, 1938–
13
American philosopher, 1932–
14
Italian philosopher, 1564–1642
18