Cotometism redefines care as an intentional act that responds to vulnerability. It distinguishes between nurturing care, which preserves Life Autonomy when it is fragile, and challenging care, which strengthens Life Autonomy when it can grow. Together, these forms of reciprocity provide the practical means by which freedom survives—personally and institutionally.
Movements that begin with noble ideals can drift into violence, not because their goals are wrong, but because of ideologies that grant moral authority to dominate. This essay explores that coercive ‘permission structure’—and shows how the principles of Cotometism can prevent conviction from turning into control.
Many people call themselves socialists because they sense that conditions unfairly limit lives and concentrate power. Cotometism shares concerns for vulnerability and exploitation, but it starts with the fragile autonomy of each individual life. Where socialism might rely on authority and redistribution, cotometism emphasizes Life Autonomy and Reciprocity—direct empowerment and voluntary cooperation that make freedom last.
Cotometism begins with a simple fact: each of us has one life, and that life is vulnerable. The power to shape it is called Life Autonomy. Because no one can secure autonomy alone, we rely on Reciprocity—voluntary cooperation that reinforces one another’s ability to live freely. Cotometism shows how self-reliance and reciprocity fit together to protect the only life each of us gets.
