Blue Sky Thoughts: Colour, Consciousness and Reality

Is what we perceive objectively real, or only in our minds? Setting out to answer anew this age-old question, philosopher and software engineer Carnie begins with the philosophy of Descartes (who insisted that what we observe are in fact the real properties of the world) and the experiments of Newton (which imply the world is created in our own minds). From there, Carnie investigates the evidence for and logic behind the synthesis of these ideas: that our senses have a complex relationship (across space) with the objects they perceive. Through a consideration of colors and their perception, by humans and other organisms (From what do colors arise? Why do we perceive them at all?), Carnie presents a series of ""thought experiments"" that lead up to his ""Relational Theory of Sensory Qualities."" This he examines in relationship to the mind, art, and the way people use and abuse the natural world. His ideas are intriguing and his efforts to incorporate both the physical and social sciences are admirable; unfortunately, his writing style is abstruse and often difficult to follow (his direction isn't clear until Part III, ""Colours as Relations""). Still, persistent readers will be rewarded with much exotic food for thought.