Asymmetric Causation and Neutral Relata: A Dual-Primitive Ontology for Physics and Consciousness

This paper presents a comprehensive dual-primitive ontological framework addressing the central trilemma in metaphysics: deriving directional physical law, thermodynamic asymmetry, and phenomenal consciousness from a minimal ontological base. Building on a companion proof that directionality cannot emerge from symmetric relations alone, we propose two primitives: (1) Neutral Relata (NR) —information-theoretic distinctions forming a scalar potentiality field (x, t), and (2) Asymmetric Causation (AC) —a vector field A (x, t) representing necessary symmetry-breaking in informational space. We demonstrate that AC emerges as a thermodynamic necessity when systems exceed computational reversibility thresholds. Using a causal graph formalism, we provide a rigorous derivation of the quantum harmonic oscillator and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The framework generates quantified empirical predictions: mesoscopic systems exhibit excess entropy production (C) = C^ in Jarzynski equality violations. Furthermore, we define consciousness as Recursive Temporal Binding (RTB) and address the emergence of agency and free will in complex systems.