What is the sc-think skill for Claude Code?

It is a specialized capability that uses Socratic dialogue to help developers think through complex problems, surface hidden assumptions, and make better architectural decisions.

What are the core operations of the sc-think toolkit?

It focuses on six key areas: Assumptions (beliefs), Evidence (claims), Consequences (tradeoffs), Opposition (alternatives), Meta-questions (finding the right question), and Exclusion (scope).

When should I use sc-think instead of a normal prompt?

Use sc-think when you are facing uncertainty, such as when you're 'stuck', can't decide between two approaches, or need a critical review of a plan.

Does sc-think provide the solution to my problem?

It is designed to think 'with' you, not 'for' you. Its goal is to help you reach the right conclusion by asking targeted questions that clarify your own thinking.

How does sc-think access my project context?

The skill uses Claude Code's internal tools like Read, Grep, and Glob to ground its questions in your actual code and file structure, avoiding abstract or 'vacuum' questioning.

Socratic Thinking Partner

Name: Socratic Thinking Partner
Author: kylesnowschwartz

bykylesnowschwartz

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Productivity & Workflow

Activates dialectical reasoning to help developers surface assumptions, challenge design decisions, and resolve uncertainty through Socratic dialogue.

About

The sc-think skill transforms Claude from a simple assistant into a critical thinking partner that works alongside you rather than just providing answers. It is specifically designed for moments of architectural doubt, 'stuck' states, or complex decision-making where the right path forward isn't immediately clear. By applying a toolkit of dialectical operations—such as probing for evidence, exploring consequences, and steelmanning alternative positions—it helps you refine your mental models and identify the most critical questions to ask before committing to an implementation.

Key Features

Context-aware intent detection for decisions, unblocking, and architectural design.
Integrated execution pattern that combines file-system context with structured inquiry.
Action-oriented conclusions that provide a clear 'next step' to prevent analysis paralysis.
87 GitHub stars
Dialectical toolkit including assumption surfacing, evidence probing, and consequence tracing.
Anti-pattern prevention to avoid abstract questioning and ensure grounded, actionable dialogue.

Use Cases

Identifying the root cause of a logic block when you feel stuck on a difficult bug.
Conducting a 'sanity check' on a proposed project plan to find hidden risks and dependencies.
Evaluating tradeoffs between multiple architectural patterns or library choices.

About

Key Features

Context-aware intent detection for decisions, unblocking, and architectural design.
Integrated execution pattern that combines file-system context with structured inquiry.
Action-oriented conclusions that provide a clear 'next step' to prevent analysis paralysis.
87 GitHub stars
Dialectical toolkit including assumption surfacing, evidence probing, and consequence tracing.
Anti-pattern prevention to avoid abstract questioning and ensure grounded, actionable dialogue.

Use Cases

Identifying the root cause of a logic block when you feel stuck on a difficult bug.
Conducting a 'sanity check' on a proposed project plan to find hidden risks and dependencies.
Evaluating tradeoffs between multiple architectural patterns or library choices.