Abstract
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) published his book,On Vision and the Colors in 1816. He started from Aristotle's linear color system and Goethe's three pairs of contrast colors. His work preceded Hering's theory of opponent colors but his path to insight was blocked by his anti-Newtonianism and his neo-Hellenistic attitude toward science. Because of his theory of the subjectivity of colors he was a forerunner of the psycho-physiological variant of neo-Kantianism
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schopenhauer A, Ueber die vierfache Wurzel des Satzes vom zureichendem Grunde. Rudolstadt, 1813.
Schopenhauer A. Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung. Leipzig, 1819; enlarged 1854.
Schopenhauer A. Ueber das Sehn und die Farben. Leipzig, 1816; enlarged edition 1854.
Goethe JW von. Zur Farbenlehre. Tübingen, 1810.
Hartmann E von. Schopenhauer und die Farbenlehre. In: Studien und Aufsätze. Berlin, 1876.
Ostwald W, Goethe, Schopenhauer und die Farbenlehre. Leipzig: Unesma Verlag, 1918.
Wessely K. Goethes und Schopenhauers Stellung in der Geschichte von den Gesichtsempfindungen. Berlin: Julius Springer, 1922.
Wagner K. Goethes Farbenlehre und Schopenhauers Farbtheorie. Jahrb. Schopenhauer-Gesellschaft 1935; 22: 92–176.
Gebhard W. ‘Der Zusammenhang der Dinge’. Weltgleichnis und Naturverklärung im Totalitätsbewusstsein des 19. Jahrhunderts. Harmaea Bd 47. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1984.
Stefansky G. Das hellenisch-deutsche Weltbild. Bonn: Friedrich Cohen, 1925.
Butler EM. The Tyranny of Greece over Germany. 1935; repr. Boston: Beacon Hill, 1958.
Burwick F. The Damnation of Newton: Goethe's Color theory and Romantic Perception. Berlin & New York: De Gruyter, 1986.
Blättner F. Das Gymnasium. Heidelberg: Quelle & Meyer, 1960.
Safransky R. Schopenhauer und Die wilden Jahre der Philosophie. München & Wien: Carl Hanser Verlag, 1987.
Snow CP. The Two Cultures, Cambridge: University Press, 1959.
Young Th. On the theory of light and colors. Phil Trans R Soc 1802; 92: 21–22.
Aguilonius F. Opticorum libri sex. Antwerpen, 1613.
Snelders HAM. Numerology in German Romanticism and Naturphilosophie. Janus 1973; 60: 25–40.
Newton I. Opticks. London, 1704; enlarged 4th impr., 1730; reprint New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1979.
Grassmann H. Zur Theorie der Farbenmischung. Poggend Ann Phys Chem 1853. 89: 69–84.
Maxwell JC. Experiments on color as perceived by the eye, with remarks on color blindness. Edinb Trans 1855; 21: 275–297.
Sherman PD. Color vision in the Nineteenth Century. Bristol: Adam Hilger Ltc. 1981.
Grüsser O-J. Quantitative psychophysics during the period of the European Enlightenment. The studies of the astronomer and mathematician Tobias Mayer (1723–1762) on visual acuity and color perception. Docum. Ophthalmol. 1989; 71: 93–111.
Hering E. Grundzüge einer Theorie des Farbensinnes. In: Zur Lehre von Lichtsinn. Wien, 1878.
Lauxtermann PFH. Five decisive years: Schopenhauer's epistemology as reflected in his theory of color. Stud Hist Phil Sci 1987; 18/3: 271–291.
Kant I. Critik der reinen Vernunft. Riga, 1781.
Morgenstern M. Schopenhauers Philosophie der Naturwissenschaft. Bonn: Bouvier Verlag, 1985.
Wundt, W. Grundzuge der physiologischen Psychologie, Leipzig, 1873.
Strohm H. Die Aporien in Schopenhauers Erkenntnistheorie. Diss. Tübingen, 1984.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Crone, R.A. Schopenhauer on vision and the colors. Doc Ophthalmol 93, 61–71 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02569047
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02569047