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The language and its tools
Cogitatum 0.6.0, cog, the reader, the Playground.
How it reads
Write the note. See the argument.
An indented outline in plain text. A mark at the start of a line says what the line does: a claim, its ground, an objection. The argument inside the note is then drawn as a map.
Should the library stay open later?
- proseA neighbourhood library is considering later opening hours. This is an imagined discussion.
- claim
[C]The library should stay open until eight on weekdays. - ground
[G]Forty people visited after six at last month's evening event. - objection
[O]The count included repeat entries, so fewer than forty people may have visited. - objection to the step
[O/]People may have come for the special event, not for ordinary evening opening.
[O] doubts the evidence. [O/] doubts the step.
As far as you need
Mark only what matters.
An unmarked line stays prose. Each mark you add puts another point on the map, and every point can be questioned.
1Write
- A neighbourhood library is considering later opening hours. - The library should stay open until eight on weekdays. - Forty people visited after six at last month's evening event.0 points · 0 bearings
An ordinary outline draws nothing yet.
2Mark what matters
- A neighbourhood library is considering later opening hours. - [C] The library should stay open until eight on weekdays. - [G] Forty people visited after six at last month's evening event.2 points · 1 bearing
A claim, and its reason.
3Question it
- A neighbourhood library is considering later opening hours. - [C] The library should stay open until eight on weekdays. - [G] Forty people visited after six at last month's evening event. - [O] The count included repeat entries. - [O/] People may have come for the event itself.4 points · 3 bearings
Doubt the evidence, or the step.
The marks
A mark says what a line does.
[Q]QuestionWhat the inquiry asks.[C]ClaimA position in the inquiry.[G]GroundA reason for the line it sits under.[O]ObjectionChallenges the line it sits under.[O/]Objection to the stepQuestions the step from the reason to the claim.[R]ResponseResponds to the line it sits under.[D]DistinctionClarifies what the line above means.[.]Neutral PointA Point without a local role.
Unmarked lines stay prose. @name refers back.
What it does not do
It shows the structure. It does not judge it.
- Plain text
- A Markdown outline, in any editor.
- No verdicts
- The marks are checked. The reasoning is yours.
- Nothing to sign up for
- Local or in the browser. No account, no AI.
Begin
Your note goes here.
Project Cogitatum
The language is the first part.
In the workshop
Agent research
An agent proposes structure; a person checks it.
Further out
Cogitatio
An inquiry played move by move, across revisions.
Bring a note where a mark helped or got in the way: issues on GitHub.