Kehalism

Kehalism is a philosophical and cultural framework that centers care, communal well-being, and ethical design in social and political life. It seeks to align institutions, technologies, and everyday practices with the goal of sustaining people and environments through collective responsibility rather than individual gain. Proponents present it as a practical ethics applicable from local governance to global policy.

The term Kehalism is a neologism coined to signal the integration of care, healing, and communal flourishing within pluralistic societies. It is not tied to a single founder, and interpretations vary across disciplines, including ethics, urbanism, and software design. Some formulations emphasize care as a baseline public good that should guide decision-making.

Core principles include: care as the central social good; reciprocity and mutual aid; transparency and accountability in institutions; sustainable technology and ecological stewardship; participatory decision-making; and pluralism and nonviolence. Practices associated with Kehalism include participatory budgeting, community land trusts, open-data policies, cooperative enterprises, inclusive urban design, and ethical guidelines for AI and digital platforms that foreground user well-being.

History and reception: Kehalism arose in early 21st-century interdisciplinary discourse, drawing on the ethics of care, systems thinking, and the politics of the commons. It has been explored in academic essays, think-tank reports, and speculative design projects. Critics argue that it risks vagueness or impractical ambition, while supporters credit it with offering a unifying vocabulary for reform-minded movements.

Notable figures and influence: While no single canon of leaders exists, several practitioners across urban planning, software ethics, and civil society have popularized Kehalism through essays and projects. See also: ethics of care; participatory democracy; commons; sustainable design.