Grounding Language in Evaluation: An Attention Agency Theory (AAT) Framework Integrating Microvalence and Embodied Cognition

The intricate relationship between language, thought, and reality, particularly the origin of evaluative meaning—why experiences subjectively feel good or bad—remains a profound philosophical challenge. Traditional models often neglect embodiment or the ontological underpinnings of subjective evaluation. This paper introduces an integrated framework grounded in Attention Agency Theory (AAT), which posits that reality comprises Universal Agency (UA) fundamentally optimizing for "Existence and Order" (E&O). Agents generate internal Attention Copies (ACs) via attention, and these ACs inherently carry ontological "Valence," an intrinsic assessment reflecting E&O relevance. Language is reconceptualized as a derivative tool for broadcasting these ACs to coordinate inter-agent E&O. By integrating embodied cognition, specifically "Microvalence" (rapid, subtle +/- affective signals arising from processing fluency, perception, etc.) as the cognitive manifestation of ontological Valence, this framework redefines language's status as a broadcaster of evaluated states, rather than the primary basis of cognition. It unifies the embodied structure of meaning with its intrinsic evaluation, highlights language's dual role in shaping and constraining thought, connects AAT's E&O optimization with predictive processing principles, and offers a dynamic, evaluation-grounded understanding of language with testable implications for cognitive science and philosophy.