TPOCo: A Universal Energy-Based Framework for Understanding Cooperation Across Scales

The Principle of Cooperation and Collaboration (TPOCo) is an original, interdisciplinary framework that reframes cooperation as a cyclical, energy-centred system dynamic. Drawing on insights from biology, quantum physics, systems theory, psychology, and economics, it defines: Cooperation is the coordinated acquisition, transformation, and sharing of energy by a system—a group of individuals—working together to sustain itself and thrive. This principle has operated for billions of years inside every cell of fungi, plants, and animals. It governs interactions between cells within these organisms—and in some species, like ants, wolves, or humans—it also operates between organisms, and extends into the complex cooperative structures of human society today. From microscopic life to social systems, cooperation is the structural process that allows living systems to gather energy, organize effectively, and thrive. The framework introduces seven universal elements—Essential Energy, Team Formation, United Effort, Gained Energy Source, Energy Share, Thriving, and Repetition—supported by a symbolic formula that models energy flow, coordination efficiency, and entropy management. TPOCo also reinterprets familiar concepts such as money, fairness, and specialization through the lens of cooperative energy logic. While it presents no new empirical data, it synthesizes existing scientific insights into a unified systems model that bridges structure and behaviour. Inspired by thinkers like Hans-Peter Dürr and Michael Tomasello, TPOCo aims to provide a foundation for interdisciplinary research and a practical lens for designing resilient, equitable, and energy-efficient systems across biological, technological, and social domains.