counter-thesis-construction

Research

Construct the strongest possible counter-argument to the convergence decision using Dialectical Inquiry and Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis methods.

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Counter-Thesis Construction

Purpose: Build the most compelling counter-thesis to the convergence winner — not to overturn the decision, but to ensure it can withstand the strongest possible intellectual challenge and to surface any synthesis opportunities.

When to use:

When the decision needs maximum intellectual rigor
When the problem domain is complex with legitimate competing views
When synthesis between thesis and antithesis might produce a superior option
When the decision will face external scrutiny

Budget

Metric	Minimum
Counter-thesis depth	Full argument with evidence
Debate rounds	>= 2 (thesis vs antithesis)
Synthesis attempts	>= 1

State Ledger

thesis: <the convergence decision>
antithesis: <constructed counter-argument>
debate_rounds: []
synthesis_attempted: false
synthesis_result: null
final_verdict: null  # THESIS_STANDS | ANTITHESIS_WINS | SYNTHESIS_FOUND

Available Tactics

Tactic	When to Deploy
adversarial-debate-protocol	Default — formal advocate/critic/judge cycle
assumption-excavation	When counter-thesis rests on different assumptions

Available SOPs

advocate-construction — build the counter-thesis case
critic-attack — attack from both thesis and antithesis sides
judge-verdict — render verdict on thesis vs antithesis
steel-manning-synthesis — attempt synthesis of thesis and antithesis

Execution Guidance

Articulate the thesis (convergence decision) clearly
Construct the strongest antithesis using advocate-construction
Deploy adversarial-debate-protocol: thesis advocates vs antithesis advocates
After debate, attempt synthesis — is there a superior option combining both?
Judge renders final verdict with explicit reasoning

Output Format

strategy: counter-thesis-construction
thesis: <decision>
antithesis: <counter-argument>
antithesis_strength: <1-10>
debate_rounds: <count>
synthesis_found: true | false
synthesis: <if found>
verdict: THESIS_STANDS | ANTITHESIS_WINS | SYNTHESIS_FOUND
reasoning: <key evidence>
conditions: []

Available Tactics

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.

Tactic	When to use
adversarial-debate-protocol	Structured debate protocol that constructs an advocate, deploys critic attacks, and renders a judge verdict through iterative rounds.
assumption-excavation	Systematic extraction, challenge, and sensitivity analysis of assumptions underlying a decision to identify load-bearing beliefs.

Available SOPs

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.

SOP	When to use
steel-manning-synthesis	Synthesize all attacks and verdicts into a final unified assessment with surviving concerns and recommended modifications.