Evaluation, meaning, and cognition are closely related but distinct concepts.
Biological evaluation is the process through which living systems distinguish conditions according to their significance for viability and adaptive persistence.
Meaning arises when conditions become significant for an agent. Something is meaningful because it matters to a living system.
Cognition refers to the processes through which organisms detect, integrate, remember, anticipate, and act upon biologically significant information.
The relationship among these concepts can be summarized as:
Evaluation → Significance → Meaning → Cognition
Evaluation establishes significance. Meaning is significance relative to an agent. Cognition organizes significance through memory, learning, anticipation, and adaptive regulation.
Understanding these distinctions helps explain how living systems move from simple forms of biological significance to increasingly sophisticated forms of cognition and understanding.