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Full Idea
Secondary quality perception, according to the utility theory, gives information about the relation between the perceptual object and the perceiver's needs and interests.
Gist of Idea
The utility theory says secondary qualities give information useful to human beings
Source
Colin McGinn (Subjective View: sec qualities and indexicals [1983], 6)
Book Ref
McGinn,Colin: 'The Subjective View' [OUP 1983], p.98
A Reaction
Almost the only example I can think of is whether fruit is ripe or rotten. ...Also 'bad' smells. We recognise aggressive animal noises, but that is not the same as dangerous (e.g. rustling snake). Divine design is behind this theory, I think.