Relational Continuum Ontology and Process Philosophy

This paper presents a systematic comparison between process philosophy and Relational Continuum Ontology (RCO), a contemporary ontological framework that reinterprets physical reality as emerging from a deeper relational and energetic foundation. Process philosophy, as developed by thinkers such as Alfred North Whitehead and Henri Bergson, proposes that reality is fundamentally constituted by processes, events, and continuous becoming. While this perspective successfully replaces classical substance metaphysics with a dynamic and relational worldview, it leaves open a fundamental question: why do processes generate coherent and persistent structures rather than dissolving into pure flux? Relational Continuum Ontology addresses this question by introducing a deeper ontological principle: Primitive Energetic Capacity—the intrinsic capacity of existence to generate and sustain relational organization. Within this framework, observable structures such as spacetime, quantum fields, and matter are interpreted as dynamically coherent configurations of energetic relations emerging within a Relational Substrate Field (RSF). Crucially, RCO departs from classical process philosophy by arguing that existence is not reducible to becoming. Processes and events are not ontologically primary, but are instead expressions of a more fundamental, continuously present generative condition. Even in the absence of structured processes or observable events, existence persists through its intrinsic energetic capacity. This shift redefines the ontological foundation of reality: rather than a universe grounded in pure becoming, RCO proposes a framework in which generative existence itself is primary, and becoming, stability, and transformation are different manifestations of this underlying potential. By integrating relational metaphysics with insights from modern physics, the paper positions RCO as a conceptual bridge between philosophy and contemporary physical theory, offering a new perspective on the emergence, organization, and persistence of structure in the universe.