AI Prompts for Claude for Reasoning

I have this complex problem: [DESCRIBE PROBLEM]. Break it down into its component parts, identify the key variables and constraints, and outline a logical approach to solving it. Do not jump to a solution.

Help me build an issue tree for [PROBLEM OR CHALLENGE]. Start with the top-level question, then decompose it into mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive sub-issues down to the level where each branch becomes actionable.

I need to make a decision about [DECISION]. Walk me through a structured decision framework: define the decision, identify criteria, weight them, evaluate options, and arrive at a reasoned recommendation.

What assumptions am I making in this analysis: [PASTE ANALYSIS OR REASONING]? List every assumption, evaluate whether it is likely to be true, and identify which assumptions most change the conclusion if they are wrong.

Work through this problem using first principles: [DESCRIBE PROBLEM]. Set aside conventional wisdom and build up from the fundamental truths. What do we actually know for certain, and what can we derive from that?

Analyze this argument: [PASTE ARGUMENT]. Is it logically valid? Are the premises true? Does the conclusion follow from the premises? Identify any logical fallacies or weak links.

Steel-man the opposing view to [POSITION I HOLD]: [DESCRIBE POSITION]. Make the strongest possible case for the other side, not a strawman, but the most intellectually serious version of the disagreement.

I am trying to convince [AUDIENCE] of [CLAIM]. What are the strongest objections they will have, and how do I address each one rigorously without dismissing it?

Is this reasoning circular, or am I missing something: [PASTE ARGUMENT]? Walk through the logical structure and show me if it actually holds.

Evaluate the quality of evidence for this claim: [PASTE CLAIM AND SUPPORTING EVIDENCE]. What kind of evidence is this, how strong is it, and what would constitute better evidence?

Walk me through the second and third-order consequences of [DECISION OR ACTION]. Not just the immediate effects, but what those effects cause, and what those causes lead to in turn.

I need to make a decision under uncertainty about [SITUATION]. What are the key scenarios, their rough probabilities, and the expected value of each option? Help me reason about the decision without pretending I have more certainty than I do.

What would have to be true for [CONCLUSION] to be correct? Work backwards from the conclusion to identify the conditions it depends on, then evaluate how plausible each condition is.

I am anchoring too much on [ASSUMPTION OR PRIOR BELIEF]. Help me reason about [TOPIC] as if I were starting fresh, without that anchor. What would a rational analyst with no prior beliefs conclude?

Pre-mortem this plan: [DESCRIBE PLAN]. Assume it has failed badly a year from now. What most likely caused the failure? Now rank the failure modes by likelihood and severity.

I have gathered these different perspectives on [TOPIC]: [PASTE OR DESCRIBE]. Synthesize them, where do they agree, where do they fundamentally disagree, and what does the disagreement reveal about the underlying question?

I am trying to understand [COMPLEX TOPIC]. Explain the key debates, the evidence on each side, and where the weight of evidence actually points. Do not just list perspectives, tell me what you think the evidence shows.

Help me build a logical chain from [STARTING PREMISE] to [CONCLUSION I AM TRYING TO REACH]. Is the chain valid? Where are the weakest links?

I have too much information on [TOPIC] and cannot see the signal. Distill it to: the 3-5 most important things that are actually known, the 2-3 things that remain genuinely uncertain, and the single most important implication.

Challenge my reasoning in this analysis: [PASTE ANALYSIS]. Do not be polite. Find the logical gaps, the unsupported claims, and the places where I am reasoning from bias rather than evidence.