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The Evolution of Color Vision Without Colors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2022

Richard J. Hall
Richard J. Hall*
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
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Abstract

The standard adaptationist explanation of the presence of a sensory mechanism in an organism—that it detects properties useful to the organism—cannot be given for color vision. This is because colors do not exist. After arguing for this latter claim, I consider, but reject, nonadaptationist explanations. I conclude by proposing an explanation of how color vision could have adaptive value even though it does not detect properties in the environment.

Type
Color and Color Vision
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 63 , Issue S3: Supplement. Proceedings of the 1996 Biennial Meetings of the Philosophy of Science Association. Part I: Contributed Papers Sep., 1996. , 1996 , pp. S125 - S133
Copyright
Copyright © Philosophy of Science Association 1996

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Footnotes

†

Department of Philosophy, 503 South Kedzie Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1032.

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