Adversarial Review
DanMcInerney/architect-loop
A skill your agent uses when the architect factory orchestrator dispatches a fresh strategist subagent to harden a draft spec: falsify it with file:line evidence, fold the surviving findings into a…
Prove and counter-prove a statement using parallel agents to eliminate confirmation bias.
Install Dialectic
$ npx skills add umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install umputun/cc-thingz dialectic --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/umputun/cc-thingz.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic .claude/skills/dialectic && 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 "dialectic" agent skill from https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic into .claude/skills/dialectic/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "dialectic", 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/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialecticType 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 umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install umputun/cc-thingz dialectic --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic .agents/skills/dialectic && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "dialectic" agent skill from https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic into .agents/skills/dialectic/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "dialectic", 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 umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install umputun/cc-thingz dialectic --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic .cursor/skills/dialectic && 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 "dialectic" agent skill from https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic into .cursor/skills/dialectic/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "dialectic", 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/umputun/cc-thingz.git --path plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic--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 umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install umputun/cc-thingz dialectic --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic .gemini/skills/dialectic && 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 "dialectic" agent skill from https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic into .gemini/skills/dialectic/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "dialectic", 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 umputun/cc-thingz dialecticInstalls 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 umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic .github/skills/dialectic && 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 "dialectic" agent skill from https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic into .github/skills/dialectic/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "dialectic", 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 umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install umputun/cc-thingz dialectic --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic .opencode/skills/dialectic && 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 "dialectic" agent skill from https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz/tree/master/plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic into .opencode/skills/dialectic/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "dialectic", 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
dialectic- GitHub stars
- 483
- Token cost
- ~756 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 279 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 16
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Prove and counter-prove a statement using parallel agents to eliminate confirmation bias.
- Works in 3 steps: Launch Parallel Agents → Synthesize → Verify
- Someone says dialectic
- SKILL.md covers Process, Use Cases and Key Principles
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Dialectic is an agent skill from umputun/cc-thingz. Prove and counter-prove a statement using parallel agents to eliminate confirmation bias. Use when someone says "dialectic", "prove/disprove", "stress test this claim", "is this really true", "argue both sides", or when a statement needs objective analysis from opposing viewpoints.
Its SKILL.md is about 760 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.
It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Subagents and Load testing. The repository describes itself as: various things for claude code. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Someone says dialectic
- Stress test this claim
- Is this really true
- Argue both sides
Example prompts
- “dialectic”
- “prove/disprove”
- “stress test this claim”
- “/dialectic”
Requirements
- Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Bash, Read, Grep, Glob, Task, AskUserQuestion
Workflow steps
3 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 99e1c8d. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:
BashReadGrepGlobTaskAskUserQuestion
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
Dialectic loads about 756 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 73 tokens; SKILL.md has 279 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: notes
The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.
- NotePre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: Bash)SKILL.md
allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Grep, Glob, Task, AskUserQuestion
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 umputun/cc-thingz at commit 99e1c8d, republished under its MIT licence (© umputun). 279 words, ~756 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/dialectic/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- dialectic
- description
- Prove and counter-prove a statement using parallel agents to eliminate confirmation bias. Use when someone says "dialectic", "prove/disprove", "stress test this claim", "is this really true", "argue both sides", or when a statement needs objective analysis from opposing viewpoints.
- allowed-tools
- Bash, Read, Grep, Glob, Task, AskUserQuestion
- argument-hint
- <statement to analyze>
Dialectic Analysis
Objective analysis of a statement by running two agents with opposing goals in parallel, then synthesizing findings.
Process
Step 1: Launch Parallel Agents
CRITICAL: Both Task tool calls MUST be in a single message for true parallel execution. Do NOT use run_in_background. Do NOT launch sequentially. Foreground agents in the same message run in parallel and block until both complete.
Agent 1 (Thesis) — find all POSITIVE evidence:
- what works well, improvements, correct patterns
- supporting facts, proof the statement is TRUE
- benefits, strengths, successful outcomes
Agent 2 (Antithesis) — find all NEGATIVE evidence:
- what's problematic, issues, risks, anti-patterns
- edge cases, proof the statement is FALSE
- weaknesses, failure modes, hidden costs
Both agents must provide specific file paths and line numbers when analyzing code.
Step 2: Synthesize
After both agents complete, synthesize findings into an objective conclusion:
- weigh evidence from both sides
- identify where thesis and antithesis agree (strongest signal)
- note unresolved tensions
Step 3: Verify
CRITICAL — after presenting the synthesis, verify it against actual implementation:
- read the specific files and line numbers referenced by both agents
- confirm the evidence cited actually exists in the codebase
- check the implementation flow matches the claims made
- verify the synthesis accurately reflects the actual code context
- identify any misinterpretations or missing context from agent reports
- revise synthesis if verification reveals inaccuracies
Use Cases
Architecture decisions:
/thinking-tools:dialectic this microservice split improves maintainabilityBug analysis:
/thinking-tools:dialectic the connection pool fixes the timeout issuePerformance claims:
/thinking-tools:dialectic caching reduced database load by 80%Refactoring safety:
/thinking-tools:dialectic extracting this interface simplifies testingCode review:
/thinking-tools:dialectic this implementation is thread-safeReview changes:
/thinking-tools:dialectic review the changes in server.goKey Principles
- Eliminate confirmation bias — examining both sides simultaneously prevents anchoring on the first conclusion
- Evidence-based — agents must cite specific files, lines, and facts, not general claims
- Verification required — synthesis must be checked against actual code before presenting
- Objective conclusion — the goal is truth, not winning either side
© umputun, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
Just SKILL.md in plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic of umputun/cc-thingz.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 99e1c8d
Compare with similar skills
Dialectic 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dialectic this skillumputun/cc-thingz | 483 | — | ~756 | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Adversarial ReviewDanMcInerney/architect-loop | 626 | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| The Jurytech-leads-club/agent-skills | 7k | — | ~4.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | CC-BY-4.0 | |
| Claude Code Agent Developmentanthropics/claude-plugins-official | 37k | 8 repos | ~2.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Grillingbestofjs/bestofjs | 3.1k | 30 repos | ~464 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Subagent Driven DevelopmentAsvarox/allkaraoke | 261 | 37 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | None |
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Related
Categories
Questions about Dialectic
What does Dialectic do?
Prove and counter-prove a statement using parallel agents to eliminate confirmation bias. Dialectic is an agent skill from umputun/cc-thingz. Prove and counter-prove a statement using parallel agents to eliminate confirmation bias.
When should I use Dialectic?
Dialectic fits situations like: someone says dialectic; stress test this claim; is this really true; argue both sides.
How do I install Dialectic in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic in umputun/cc-thingz) into .claude/skills/dialectic in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Dialectic in Codex?
Run `npx skills add umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/thinking-tools/skills/dialectic in umputun/cc-thingz) into .agents/skills/dialectic in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Dialectic 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 umputun/cc-thingz --skill dialectic -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/dialectic, .gemini/skills/dialectic, .github/skills/dialectic and .opencode/skills/dialectic in your project.
What does Dialectic need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Dialectic is instructions for the agent only. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Bash, Read, Grep, Glob, Task, AskUserQuestion.
Does Dialectic 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 Dialectic safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (pre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: bash)), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Dialectic use?
Dialectic 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 Dialectic use?
About 756 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Dialectic?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Dialectic: Adversarial Review (DanMcInerney/architect-loop, 626 stars), The Jury (tech-leads-club/agent-skills, 7k stars), Claude Code Agent Development (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 37k stars) and Grilling (bestofjs/bestofjs, 3.1k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Dialectic?
umputun (a GitHub user) maintains it in umputun/cc-thingz, which has 483 GitHub stars. The repository holds 16 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 5, 2026.
Source: umputun/cc-thingz on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.