>===== Original Message From moq_discuss@moq.org =====
RICK
> This is spurious. It's true that what I see as 'red' and what you see
>as 'red' cannot be shown to be the same. But it's also true that you and I
>would both count 'red' as one of 7 different colors (roygbiv) each with its
>own 'family' of shades. The Natchez, however, only sees six colors
>(royXiv). So while we both see some particular 'family of shades' as blue,
>and some particular 'family of shades' as shade as green... the Natchez
>would see both 'families' as shades of X.
ERIN: when you talk about 'family of shades' it seems it is crossing the line
of perception into cognition. Family resemblences is how a lot of concepts
are formed.
>RICK
>But 'teaching' the Natchez dude to see the difference would entail ridding
>him of his culture's definitions of what is real and what is unreal.
ERIN: When he separates blue chips from green chips how is this "unreal" to
him.
He would probably look at me like I would look at the Martha Stewart. She
would not have to explain to me what's real and unreal- the teaching of a new
label just says this label is important for communicative purposes.
>ERIN
>> 2)There is a gender difference in the number of color words a female and a
>> male has.
>
>RICK
>Really? I thought we all got our words from 'Websters'? Is there some
>secret feminist-color dictionary you gals have been hiding from us?
ERIN: The color vocab size is different okay. The average female tends to
have a more sophisticated color vocabulary then the average male. If you want
to pretend this particular female superiority is due to a secret dictionary I
will humor you.
>RICK
That is, I would SEE two different colors, in shades I don't RECOGNIZE.
>The Natchez would SEE one color in two different shades he didn't RECOGNIZE.
ERIN: Okay I think this is why I don't see your point yet.
You are not seeing two different colors. You are seeing two different shades
of off-white. If Martha handed you the napkins without naming them, would be
analogous to me handing blue and green chips to the Natchez.
I think the likelihood that Natchez guy thinks the difference is unreal is
about equal to me thinking Martha Stewart difference is unreal.
Maybe if I send you my secret color dictionary ...
Erin
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