A Test: Hume's Missing Shade of Blue. Issue 3 (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Finch, Jonathan
• Is Part Of: Journal of Scottish philosophy. Volume 13:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 219
• Page End: 228
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: color -- gap -- Hume -- shade -- spectrum -- test; Philosophy, Scottish -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 192
• DOI: 10.3366/jsp.2015.0105
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1479-6651

Abstract

Abstract : This paper discusses a possible test of Hume's 'missing shade of blue' and whether it might be possible to make some empirical progress on the question. Towards this end seventy-two students were tested to see if they could determine the correct color ratios of missing black and white shades ranging from a consecutive gap of two out of 236 possible combinations, to a consecutive gap of ten of out of 236 possible combinations. On the most difficult test, four of the seventy-two students correctly determined a missing shade, though these same four all claimed to have above-average experience with art.