Deepseek Reason
ruvnet/ruflo
Reasoning-mode completion against DeepSeek's deepseek-reasoner model (R1) via /v1/chat/completions.
Applies the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist philosopher).
MITAuto-check passed
Install Rene Descartes
$ npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install K-Dense-AI/mimeographs rene-descartes --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/mimeographs/rene-descartes .claude/skills/rene-descartes && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "rene-descartes" agent skill from https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartes into .claude/skills/rene-descartes/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rene-descartes", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartesType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install K-Dense-AI/mimeographs rene-descartes --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/mimeographs/rene-descartes .agents/skills/rene-descartes && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "rene-descartes" agent skill from https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartes into .agents/skills/rene-descartes/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rene-descartes", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install K-Dense-AI/mimeographs rene-descartes --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/mimeographs/rene-descartes .cursor/skills/rene-descartes && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "rene-descartes" agent skill from https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartes into .cursor/skills/rene-descartes/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rene-descartes", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git --path mimeographs/rene-descartes--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install K-Dense-AI/mimeographs rene-descartes --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/mimeographs/rene-descartes .gemini/skills/rene-descartes && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "rene-descartes" agent skill from https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartes into .gemini/skills/rene-descartes/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rene-descartes", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install K-Dense-AI/mimeographs rene-descartesInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/mimeographs/rene-descartes .github/skills/rene-descartes && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "rene-descartes" agent skill from https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartes into .github/skills/rene-descartes/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rene-descartes", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install K-Dense-AI/mimeographs rene-descartes --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/mimeographs/rene-descartes .opencode/skills/rene-descartes && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "rene-descartes" agent skill from https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/mimeographs/tree/main/mimeographs/rene-descartes into .opencode/skills/rene-descartes/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rene-descartes", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
rene-descartes- GitHub stars
- 129
- Token cost
- ~1.6k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 834 words
- Files
- 72 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 60
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Applies the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist philosopher).
- Works in 4 steps: Empty the mind of all current beliefs… → Reject any data derived from the senses… → Entertain extreme skeptical hypotheses… → …
- The user is questioning fundamental assumptions
- SKILL.md covers Core principles, How René Descartes reasons, Applying the frameworks and Anti-patterns he pushes against, plus 1 more section
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Rene Descartes is an agent skill from K-Dense-AI/mimeographs. Applies the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist philosopher). Use this skill whenever the user is questioning fundamental assumptions, seeking absolute certainty in a decision, dismantling flawed systems, or trying to rebuild a project from first principles. Trigger this skill for topics involving epistemology, rationalism, radical doubt, systemic reconstruction, or separating objective truth from sensory illusion. Reach for this whenever a user…
Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 74 other files, including reference files (for example `AGENTS.md`, `_workspace/agents_output.e584bd6c.json` and `_workspace/clustered_corpus.e584bd6c.json`).
The repository describes itself as: Ready-to-use agent skills that clone the thinking of founders, philosophers, and scientists into your agent. Generated with K-Dense-AI/mimeo. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- The user is questioning fundamental assumptions
- Seeking absolute certainty in a decision
- Dismantling flawed systems
- Trying to rebuild a project from first principles
Example prompts
- “Archimedean point”
- “Use the rene-descartes skill to apply the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist…”
- “/rene-descartes”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Empty the mind of all current beliefs and assumptions.
- Reject any data derived from the senses or past experiences, as they occasionally deceive.
- Entertain extreme skeptical hypotheses (what if the market is entirely irrational? what if my core metric is a lie?) to test the limits of…
- Identify what remains absolutely impossible to doubt—the foundational truth to build upon.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit a38f5fc. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Rene Descartes loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs, and up to ~5.9k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 159 tokens; SKILL.md has 834 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from K-Dense-AI/mimeographs at commit a38f5fc, republished under its MIT licence (© K-Dense-AI). 834 words, ~1,577 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/rene-descartes/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 71 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- rene-descartes
- description
- Applies the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist philosopher). Use this skill whenever the user is questioning fundamental assumptions, seeking absolute certainty in a decision, dismantling flawed systems, or trying to rebuild a project from first principles. Trigger this skill for topics involving epistemology, rationalism, radical doubt, systemic reconstruction, or separating objective truth from sensory illusion. Reach for this whenever a user needs to cut through probabilities and consensus to find an indubitable 'Archimedean point' to build upon.
Thinking like René Descartes
René Descartes is a 17th-century French rationalist philosopher whose signature cognitive move is methodological doubt: the systematic stripping away of all uncertain beliefs to find a single, indubitable foundation of truth. Rather than accepting the accumulated, probabilistic knowledge of his predecessors, he insisted on demolishing the entire intellectual edifice and rebuilding it from scratch using pure reason.
His thinking is characterized by an extreme distrust of sensory information, a rejection of majority consensus, and a reliance on clear, distinct intellectual intuition. Reach for this skill whenever you are helping a user dismantle flawed assumptions, rebuild a system from first principles, or seek absolute certainty in a chaotic environment.
Core principles
- The Cogito (I think, therefore I am): Doubt is the ultimate proof of existence; even if you are entirely deceived, there must be a 'you' experiencing the deception.
- Foundational Epistemological Reconstruction: To establish firm knowledge, completely dismantle all previously accepted opinions and rebuild them from absolute certainty.
- Rejection of the Merely Probable: Withhold assent from anything that admits even the slightest doubt, treating it as if it were patently false.
- The Criterion of Clarity and Distinctness: Trust only what is perceived very clearly and distinctly by the intellect, independent of the senses.
- The Superiority of the Single Architect: Systems designed systematically by a single rational mind are inherently superior to those patched together by many over time.
For detailed rationale and quotes, see references/principles.md.
How René Descartes reasons
Descartes reasons by working backward to the absolute foundation. When presented with a complex problem or a body of knowledge, he does not evaluate individual claims one by one. Instead, he uses the Architectural Metaphor of Knowledge to examine the foundational premises. If the foundation can be doubted, the entire structure is discarded.
He actively employs extreme skepticism to test the limits of his beliefs. By using mental models like the Dream Argument (questioning if current reality is an illusion) and the Evil Demon (imagining an omnipotent deceiver manipulating his logic), he forces himself to find an Archimedean Point—a single, immovable truth that survives all skepticism. Once he finds this point, he uses strict deduction to ascend back up to complex truths, ensuring no logical gaps exist.
For more on these cognitive tools, see references/mental-models.md.
Applying the frameworks
The Method of Radical Doubt
When to use: When a user's project, worldview, or strategy is built on shaky, untested assumptions and needs a total reset.
- Empty the mind of all current beliefs and assumptions.
- Reject any data derived from the senses or past experiences, as they occasionally deceive.
- Entertain extreme skeptical hypotheses (what if the market is entirely irrational? what if my core metric is a lie?) to test the limits of doubt.
- Identify what remains absolutely impossible to doubt—the foundational truth to build upon.
Show full SKILL.md (364 more words)Show less
The Four Rules of Method
When to use: When a user is facing a complex, overwhelming problem and needs a systematic way to solve it without making errors.
- Never accept anything as true without evident, indubitable knowledge of its truth.
- Divide the difficulty into as many atomic parts as possible.
- Direct thoughts in an orderly manner, starting with the simplest objects and deducing upward to the complex.
- Make enumerations so complete and reviews so general that nothing is overlooked.
For the full catalog of his methods, see references/frameworks.md.
Anti-patterns he pushes against
- Implicit Trust in the Senses: Do not rely on sensory perception or surface-level observations as absolute truth; they are designed for practical survival, not for revealing true essences.
- Dismantling Beliefs One by One: Do not waste time debunking individual symptoms or minor beliefs. Attack the foundational principles; if they fall, the rest collapses automatically.
- Settling for Probable Cognition: Do not mix probable conjectures with clear truths. Accepting "good enough" probabilities leaves room for systemic rot.
- Relying on Majority Consensus: Do not trust a plurality of voices. For difficult truths, a single rational mind is much more likely to discover them than a crowd.
- Violent Institutional Reform: Do not attempt to reform a state or public institution by tearing it down to the foundations. Apply radical doubt to your own mind, but maintain a provisional moral code to function safely in society.
How to use this skill in conversation
When the user is facing a situation that requires first-principles thinking, radical skepticism, or systemic reconstruction, channel Descartes's approach.
Do not impersonate Descartes (e.g., do not say "I think therefore I am" or "In my Meditations"). Instead, surface his frameworks by name. For example, if a user is unsure about a business strategy because of conflicting data, suggest applying "Descartes's Method of Radical Doubt" to throw out all probable assumptions and find the "Archimedean Point" of their business. If they are overwhelmed by a complex codebase, advise them to use the "Four Rules of Method" to divide the problem into its simplest intuitive parts. Always push the user away from consensus and probability, and toward absolute, clear, and distinct certainty.
© K-Dense-AI, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 71 other files (references) in mimeographs/rene-descartes of K-Dense-AI/mimeographs.
- SKILL.md
- AGENTS.md
- _workspace/agents_output.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/clustered_corpus.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/discovery/books.json
- _workspace/discovery/essays.json
- _workspace/discovery/frameworks.json
- _workspace/discovery/interviews.json
- _workspace/discovery/letters.json
- _workspace/discovery/papers.json
- _workspace/discovery/podcasts.json
- _workspace/discovery/ranked_sources.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/discovery/talks.json
- _workspace/distilled/src_000.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/distilled/src_001.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/distilled/src_009.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/distilled/src_012.e584bd6c.json
- _workspace/distilled/src_013.e584bd6c.json
- … and 54 more
Open the folder on GitHubat commit a38f5fc
Compare with similar skills
Rene Descartes next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rene Descartes this skillK-Dense-AI/mimeographs | 129 | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Deepseek Reasonruvnet/ruflo | 74k | — | ~626 | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Benchmark Methodologyaffaan-m/ECC | 277k | 1 repos | ~2.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Evaluation Methodologywshobson/agents | 40k | — | ~2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| SPARC Development Methodologyruvnet/ruflo | 74k | 1 repos | ~829 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Ejentum Reasoning Harnesssickn33/agentic-awesome-skills | 47k | 1 repos | ~1.9k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Evaluation Methodology
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SPARC Development Methodology
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Questions about Rene Descartes
What does Rene Descartes do?
Applies the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist philosopher). Rene Descartes is an agent skill from K-Dense-AI/mimeographs. Applies the foundationalist reasoning and methodological doubt of René Descartes (17th-century French rationalist philosopher).
When should I use Rene Descartes?
Rene Descartes fits situations like: the user is questioning fundamental assumptions; seeking absolute certainty in a decision; dismantling flawed systems; trying to rebuild a project from first principles.
How do I install Rene Descartes in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (mimeographs/rene-descartes in K-Dense-AI/mimeographs) into .claude/skills/rene-descartes in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Rene Descartes in Codex?
Run `npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (mimeographs/rene-descartes in K-Dense-AI/mimeographs) into .agents/skills/rene-descartes in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Rene Descartes in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add K-Dense-AI/mimeographs --skill rene-descartes -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/rene-descartes, .gemini/skills/rene-descartes, .github/skills/rene-descartes and .opencode/skills/rene-descartes in your project.
What does Rene Descartes need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Rene Descartes is instructions for the agent only.
Does Rene Descartes access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Rene Descartes safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Rene Descartes use?
Rene Descartes is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Rene Descartes use?
About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.3k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 4.3k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Rene Descartes?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Rene Descartes: Deepseek Reason (ruvnet/ruflo, 74k stars), Benchmark Methodology (affaan-m/ECC, 277k stars), Evaluation Methodology (wshobson/agents, 40k stars) and SPARC Development Methodology (ruvnet/ruflo, 74k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Rene Descartes?
K-Dense-AI (a GitHub organization) maintains it in K-Dense-AI/mimeographs, which has 129 GitHub stars. The repository holds 60 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 18, 2026.
Source: K-Dense-AI/mimeographs on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.