Key Takeaway:
Color may seem subjective, but it is far more objective than many people assume. Research into philosophy and science reveals that colors are just as real as features like mass or temperature, not just tricks of the mind. Objects can appear different under shifting conditions, but the essential properties of objects remain intact even as appearances shift. Matching without names is strong evidence that color is an objective feature, paralleling other physical features we accept as objective. Color is deeply rooted in science, as fields from optics to biology rely on it as a measurable, predictable phenomenon. By recognizing how color is woven into the structure of science, biology, and daily life, it becomes clear that colors are real attributes of the world around us.
Color might feel like one of the most subjective parts of human experience. After all, isn’t my green different from your green? Doesn’t a red apple look different under sunlight than it does under the glow of a streetlamp? Variations in lighting, background, and individual perception seem to suggest that color is all in our heads.
But that common intuition doesn’t hold up. Despite the quirks of perception, color is far more objective than many people assume. Research into both philosophy and science is revealing that colors are just as real as features like mass or temperature — not just tricks of the mind.
Across human history, people have noticed that objects can appear different under shifting conditions. A gray wall looks darker against a white background, or lighter against a dark one. A bright blue shirt changes shade from noon to dusk. Yet, none of these changes affect the shirt’s actual color. Just as the Moon doesn’t shrink when it rises high above the horizon — even though it looks smaller — the essential properties of objects remain intact even as appearances shift.
Experiments show how striking these illusions can be. Place two seemingly identical squares of color against different backgrounds, and they suddenly appear different. But when you isolate them side-by-side, they are revealed to be the same. Context tricks the eye, but it doesn’t change the underlying reality.
This suggests something crucial: variation in appearance is not proof that color is subjective. Just as ice-cold water can feel frigid to one hand but only cool to another, an object’s color persists independent of personal perception.
Matching Without Names
Suppose the task is to match two paint samples, not name their color. Success doesn’t depend on whether observers call it “jade” or “seafoam” — just whether the patches visually match. If two swatches remain identical under different lighting conditions to a wide range of observers, it’s strong evidence that the color is an objective feature.
This ability to match — to say “these two are the same” even without agreeing on what to call them — parallels other physical features we accept as objective. You don’t need to feel the same temperature to agree that two bowls of water have the same temperature when measured.
And indeed, entire industries depend on color matching: graphic design, textiles, fashion, even construction. Without some stability in the reality of color, none of these fields would work.
Color’s Deep Roots in Science
The sciences also treat color as more than a perceptual illusion. Fields from optics to biology rely on color as a measurable, predictable phenomenon.
Color mixing follows laws about how pigments or light combine. Optical studies predict afterimages when staring at contrasting colors. Biologists investigate how coloration influences evolution, such as the warning colors that deter predators from eating poisonous frogs or caterpillars.
Some philosophers, such as Hilary Putnam and W.V.O. Quine, argue that if a concept is indispensable to successful scientific theories, it must represent something real. We don’t see electrons directly, but physics would crumble without them. Similarly, if color is central to biological explanations and optical laws, it’s reasonable to conclude that color is not merely a private fantasy.
In evolutionary terms, color is often a matter of life and death. Certain species evolve distinctive markings that are only visible to mates — or invisible to predators. Some damselfish, for example, display ultraviolet face patterns that are hidden to predators but visible to other damselfish. Their survival depends on the objectivity of those colors — even if different species see them differently.
Beyond Illusion
Ultimately, the fact that perception varies does not mean reality is unstable. Color, like many features of the physical world, can shift in appearance without losing its objective basis.
By recognizing how color is woven into the structure of science, biology, and even daily life, it becomes clear that colors aren’t mere illusions. They are real attributes of the world around us — just as real as the ground underfoot or the air we breathe.
When you look at a green leaf, you aren’t just hallucinating “green-ness.” You are encountering something grounded in the fabric of reality itself — even if the shade seems to change when clouds pass overhead.
