The C-A Framework: Distinguishing Consciousness from Awareness as an Organisational Phenomenon

Abstract

This paper introduces the C–A Framework, a testable, evolutionary model that distinguishes between consciousness (C)as a fundamental property of reality and awareness (A) as an emergent, organisation-dependent phenomenon. The framework proposes that awareness arises through an evolutionary progression of increasing organisational complexity and integration, forming a structured continuum from non-aware physical systems, through biological organisation, to experiential awareness (A1) and recursive self-awareness (A2). Rather than treating consciousness as synonymous with cognition, behaviour, or information processing, the C–A Framework separates the underlying capacity for experience from the structured conditions required for that experience to emerge. In doing so, it resolves longstanding ambiguities in terminology across fields such as neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind. Drawing on principles from complexity science, information theory, and existing models such as Global Workspace Theory, Integrated Information Theory, and Predictive Processing, the framework positions these approaches as describing mechanisms within awareness, rather than explanations of consciousness itself. The model further introduces the concept of an integration threshold, at which sufficient organisational complexity gives rise to experiential awareness, and outlines a testable pathway for identifying transitions between awareness regimes across biological and artificial systems. By reframing consciousness as fundamental and awareness as an emergent outcome of evolutionary organisation, the C–A Framework provides a unifying structure capable of integrating existing theories while offering a clear and testable direction for future research.