Definitions HQ

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a term that helps make clear that the world is not a spectacle of colors and shapes, but rather an environment in which, say, a podium we may see is first and foremost a podium and not a sheer perception of flat objects and colors constructed in the mind as a podium. Even for a tribal person unfamiliar with podiums, the podium is not a sheer perception, but rather, is simply an object with 'equipmental strangeness'.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a totality or a task I am involved in such that the hammer is not a hammer, but something that I use for a purpose. A nail is not a nail, but is something I use for a purpose. . . .To see the hammer as a thing is to stop hammering and look at it..

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠based on reliability which accounts for the repose of equipment resting within itself. Only in this 'reliability' do we discern what equipment in truth is.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠concerned with knowing 'how' rather than knowing 'what'.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠essentially 'something in-order-to'. In our everyday existence, we encounter equipment of numerous sorts for writing, sewing, working, transportation, measurement, etc.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠grounded in the idea of 'reliability' which keeps gathered within itself all things according to their manner and extent.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠never an end in itself. The end product of the labours of the tailor is not 'a shoe' because the shoe itself is produced for wearing.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not to be seen in material terms. There is no such thing as a piece of equipment. Equipment only becomes truly visible as equipment through its use.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not visible other than in use. A hammer is not a thing because its not always being used as a hammer. By the same token, a rock, or a piece of wood, or even a human fist, can serve just as well as a hammer on occasions.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠purely a human phenomenon... a chimp using a stick in order to reach a banana is not using equipment because an 'item' of equipment is what it is only insofar as it refers to other equipment and so fits in a certain way into an 'equipmental whole'.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠reliable, giving to the simple world its security. It'assures to the earth the freedom of its steady thrust.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a thing always referring to other equipment. An 'item' of equipment is what it is only insofar as it refers to other equipment into an 'equipmental whole'.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a mode that ceases when something goes amiss.

Equipment (n.) unleashes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a referential totality (i.e. This hammer we take to be a hammer only because it belongs within an unbelievably rich context... namely that it drives nails into wood, which builds houses, which supports communities, etc.

Equipment's (n.) basic ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠characteristic is that it is used for something.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what it is only insofar as it refers to other equipment and so fits in a certain way into an 'equipmental whole'.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠endowed with a “towards-which”: a purpose that it serves.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always the common belonging of a public world.

Equipment (n.) gains ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its ultimate meaning for us from our own being; making us the for-the-sake-of-which of any equipmental totality.

Equipment (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠inconspicuous and unobtrusive, hiding from us in its quiet taken-for-grantedness.