Przedarystotelesowskie rozważania nad kolorem

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to reconstruct and to present the earliest conceptions of the colours in Greek philosophy.The subject-matter of the analysis are the fragments of the pre-socratic philosophers and the Plato’s dialogue "Timaeus".In the first part of the paper are presented the examples of the colour objects, which in the earliest, non-philosophical Greek literature can be found.The second part is devoted to the analysis of the Empedoclean and Democritean theories of colour. These two philosophers were the authors of the fullest and the most influential, as it seems, concepts of colour before Plato. The founder of the Academy alludes to these theories in the "Timaeus" and he developes them creatively.