Perception is indistinguishable from the practical organization of the world into instruments

Evidence

Objects are revealed to us at the heart of a complex of instrumentality in which they occupy a determined place. This place is not defined by pure spatial co-ordinates but in relation to axes of practical reference. “The glass is on the coffee table;” this means that we must be careful not to upset the glass if we move the table. The package of tobacco is on the mantle piece; this means that we must clear a distance of three yards if we want to go from the pipe to the tobacco while avoiding certain obstacles—end tables, footstools, etc.—which are placed between the mantle piece and the table. In this sense perception is in no way to be distinguished from the practical organization of existents into a world. Each instrument refers to other instruments, to those which are its keys and to those for which it is the key. But these references could not be grasped by a purely contemplative consciousness. For such a consciousness the hammer would not refer to the nails but would be alongside them; furthermore the expression “alongside” loses all meaning if it does not outline a path which goes from the hammer to the nail and which must be cleared. The space which is originally revealed to me is hodological space; it is furrowed with paths and highways; it is instrumental and it is the location of tools. — Jean-Paul Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 860

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces ‘hodological space’ — space defined by paths of practical action rather than geometric co-ordinates — a core ontological term.
• XREF: Heidegger’s ready-to-hand/present-at-hand distinction; echoes Merleau-Ponty’s lived space and Gibson’s affordances. — connects to: The world’s instrumental organization depends partly on constituting consciousness; In the ‘they’ mode the world reflects one’s unauthentic possibilities back as interchangeable instruments.; Perception is an active process of filtering and organizing, not passive reception (+5 more)
• ADDENDUM: Hodological space as ‘instrumental paths that must be cleared’ resonates with grafting/infrastructure theme — tools as infrastructure.

Broader Connections

• Perception is an active process of filtering and organizing, not passive reception #expands (0.85)
• Practical consciousness is non-reflective and discloses the world as instrumentality #corroborates (0.85)
• Buber distinguishes instrument-use perception (I-It) from true encounter (I-Thou) #complicates (0.80)
• The being of everyday objects is veiled by their instrumental function #qualifies (0.75)