What exactly is the black color?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of the color black as perceived by the human eye, exploring its definition and implications in terms of perception and cognition. It touches on psychological and physiological aspects of color perception, as well as the conceptual frameworks used to understand color classification.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the nature of black, suggesting it may represent an absence of information about objects, and seeks clarification on what is perceived as black.
  • Another participant argues that describing black as an absence is a category mistake, proposing instead that blackness is a perceptual construct that reflects the presence of black rather than the absence of color.
  • This second participant emphasizes that the visual cortex remains active even in the absence of light stimuli, suggesting that black is integrated into a larger cognitive context.
  • A third participant acknowledges their oversight in not noticing a related topic and expresses intent to engage with that discussion instead.
  • A follow-up response indicates the participant's intent to reflect on the issue further and suggests they may return with additional questions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus reached in the discussion; participants present differing views on the nature of black, with one framing it as an absence and another as a presence, indicating an ongoing debate.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes psychological and perceptual considerations that may depend on individual interpretations and definitions of color perception, which are not fully resolved.

kamil trzaska
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Hello,
I've asked this question on the other forum, but it seems that its rarely visited, so I decided to ask my question here.

I'm wondering what exactly is the black color perceived by the human eye. I've read some explanations on the web, but none of them gives the exact answer.
So, if black is an absence of information about objects, so what exactly is this that "thing" perceived by human senses?
I know that is rather unusual question, but still I'm curious about this topic,
thanks and have a good day
 
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Hey Kamil, welcome to PF :smile: You're not stoned sitting around with your college buddies thinking about what the color black is, are you? I mean, it's ok with me, that's what I used to do in college. Your question is a psychophysiological one, which is kinda borderline here, but I'll try to help out anyway. First of all you're making a category mistake by saying that the color "black" reflects the absence of something. That's a perceptual-model construct that we use to classify percepts. Just because you have your eyes closed and your rods and cones aren't responding to the panoply of colors they do when they're open, doesn't mean that the visual cortex is silent. It is always active and representing in some fashion that gives meaning to your larger immediate cognitive construction of the moment. Same thing if you're, say, looking at a film noir poster or a picture of a galaxy surrounded by space. The black parts may not trigger your rods and cones, but your visual cortex is very active in incorporating that context into your larger visual construct. So, in short, blackness is not the absence of something, it's the presence of black.
 
oh, i didnt noticed the topic above, sorry, this one should be deleted I guess, I'll try to take my voice in there, thanks
 
DiracPool: thanks for your answer, I just noticed it :) No, I'm not stoned still I'm after a sleepless night so maybe that's the reason :)
I'll take a time and thing bout this issue, I'll also try to read the topic at the to of the site. But your answer seems very reasonable, still there are some questions I'd like to ask, so I probably will get back to this topic after I find some spare time, thanks :)
 

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