From Absence to Worlds: A Relational Continuum Ontology Framework of Generative Emergence

This work presents the Relational Continuum Ontology (RCO) as a foundational framework in which existence is understood as intrinsically generative, continuous, and relationally organized. At its core, the framework introduces Primordial Energetic Capacity (Φ) as the invariant generative condition of existence. Φ is not treated as a measurable physical quantity, nor as an entity within space and time, but as the ontological basis from which all relational configurations emerge, persist, and transform. Within this perspective, the Relational Substrate Field (RSF) is defined not as a container or background, but as the continuous mode of relational activity itself. Structure arises through differentiation, stability through compatibility and alignment, and transformation through instability and reconfiguration. Space and time are reinterpreted as emergent conditions: space as relational allowance time as relational persistence Physical structures, including atomic systems and large-scale organization, are understood as stabilized relational regimes rather than fundamental substances. Interaction patterns traditionally described as forces are redefined as structured relational dynamics. In particular, gravitational interaction is interpreted as a process of equilibration of relational density gradients, where what is described as curvature corresponds to a structured redistribution of relational coherence, rather than deformation of an underlying spatial entity. Across all scales—from fundamental physical processes to biological and cognitive systems—the same principles apply: continuity, compatibility, alignment, and open-ended generative transformation. The framework does not replace existing scientific theories, but reinterprets them as regime-dependent descriptions of stable relational organization. It provides a conceptual foundation for further formal development, including equation-based approaches within a broader unified theoretical context.