Peripersonal space as the haptic field
Synthese January 28, 2026 Jonathan Mitchell
The sense of touch, or haptic touch, is structured by an external spatial field called peripersonal space, which functions similarly to the visual field. Peripersonal space meets the necessary conditions for a spatial field, making it the external spatial field of haptic touch. This argument clarifies structural similarities and differences between the senses, focusing on how touch, like vision, operates within a spatial framework.