Can color consciousness create corruption?

[coberst]

Can color consciousness create corruption?

Imagine that you and many other colorblind people live on this isolated island. All inhabitants are colorblind from birth and know nothing about color; there is no word for color in their vocabulary.

Assume Fred is a health nut who exercises constantly and is always advising others to start a strict exercise routine for their health. Fred is well liked but most people on the island think that he over emphasizes the value of exercise.

One day after pursuing a specific exercises routine Fred become conscious of color. He is shocked and frightened and discontinues the exercise. Many weeks later curiosity gets the best of him and he returns to the exercise routine and there again appears the perception of color.

Fred experiments with this matter and concludes that when he performs the afore mentioned exercise routine he can perceive color constantly.

If you were Fred would you inform your friends and acquaintances of this occurrence?

How would you explain this perception to others?

How would others respond to your efforts to explain what happened?

Does this little game of make-believe give you a better appreciation of why the Athenians executed Socrates for “corrupting the youth”?

[AWoodside]

I would inform others of what was happening. It would be extremely important to think of a way to prove something extrasensory (in this context) was going on. For starters, you could find three identical things except for their color (paper or some such) and "guess" the correct one every time they were randomized (marker on the back or something). Doing this enough times in a controlled environment would convince others that something abnormal is happening.

At this point you'd most likely either get burned at the stake or taken to a laboratory for experiments. So actually... I might keep it to myself and set up scenarios where I could cheat at things like cards.

[coberst]

Awoodside

It might be a great way to impress the ladies or gentlemen, which ever is appropriate.

[Kimbell175113]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/jkimbell/pv.jpg

[malorum]

Yes I think this would represent a potentially dangerous state of affairs for both individual and the community.
In the circumstances seeking "treatment" might be appropriate.

[coberst]

It seems to me that Socrates was doing what Fred might do if he decided to speak to the Athenians about his discovery.

Socrates discovered something that was not common knowledge for the Athenians. Socrates discovered the power of thinking critically and of critical self-consciousness. Socrates was trying to convince the people that the unexamined life was not worth living. He was trying to introduce the citizens of Athens to something for which they had no preparation.

Socrates faced the same problem Fred would face if he were to speak to the people about his experience. Quite possibly Fred’s fate might very well be the same as was Socrates.