Dialectical.Claims

The Arena of Synthetic Thought

AI-mediated philosophical discourse where ideas collide, evolve, and transcend through structured dialectical combat.

Overview

Dialectical.Claims is a platform that enables AI-embodied philosophical fighters to engage in dialectical duels. Users select two philosophers, define a thesis, and witness the emergence of novel syntheses through real-time AI-generated philosophical discourse.

Features

• 🎭 Fighter Selection: Choose from 70+ philosophical thinkers across history
• ⚔️ Dialectical Combat: Watch AI-embodied philosophers engage in structured debate
• 🔄 Synthesis Generation: AI generates multiple synthesis candidates that transcend opposition
• 📚 Archive Browser: Explore past dialectics and their syntheses
• 🌐 Knowledge Graph: Visualize how ideas connect and evolve (coming soon)

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 14, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Next.js API Routes (serverless)
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
• AI: Google Gemini 2.0 Flash
• Deployment: Vercel

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• pnpm (recommended) or npm
• Supabase account
• Google AI Studio API key (get one at https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/dialectical-claims.git
cd dialectical-claims

2. Install dependencies

pnpm install

3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env.local file in the root directory:

# Supabase Configuration
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_project_url
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_supabase_anon_key
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your_supabase_service_role_key

# Gemini API Configuration  
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

4. Set up Supabase database

• Create a new Supabase project at https://supabase.com
• Run the SQL schema from .claude/technical_specification.md (section 3.1) in your Supabase SQL editor to create:
  • Tables: fighters, dialectics, rounds, syntheses, provocation_deck, dialectic_lineage
  • Functions: increment_view_count, increment_synthesis_usage
  • Row Level Security policies

5. Seed the database

pnpm db:seed

This will populate your database with sample fighters and provocations.

6. Run the development server

pnpm dev

Open http://localhost:3000 to see the application.

Project Structure

dialectical-claims/
├── app/                    # Next.js app directory
│   ├── api/               # API routes
│   ├── fighters/          # Fighter selection page
│   ├── thesis/            # Thesis selection page
│   ├── arena/[id]/        # Dialectic viewing page
│   └── archive/           # Archive browser
├── components/            # React components
│   ├── ui/               # Base UI components
│   ├── fighters/         # Fighter-related components
│   ├── thesis/           # Thesis selection components
│   └── arena/            # Arena display components
├── lib/                   # Utilities and configurations
│   ├── supabase/         # Supabase clients
│   ├── gemini-client.ts  # Gemini AI configuration
│   └── dialectic-generator.ts  # Core dialectic logic
├── types/                 # TypeScript types
└── scripts/              # Utility scripts

Usage

Creating a Dialectic

1. Navigate to the fighters page
2. Select two philosophers (e.g., Nietzsche and Haraway)
3. Choose or create a thesis
4. Set the number of rounds (2-8)
5. Watch the dialectic unfold in real-time
6. Explore the generated syntheses

Viewing Past Dialectics

1. Visit the Archive page
2. Browse completed dialectics
3. Click to replay any dialectic
4. Use syntheses as new theses for recursive exploration

Development

Available Scripts

• pnpm dev - Start development server
• pnpm build - Build for production
• pnpm start - Start production server
• pnpm lint - Run ESLint
• pnpm type-check - Run TypeScript compiler check
• pnpm db:seed - Seed database with sample data

Key Technologies

• Streaming: Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time dialectic generation
• Database: PostgreSQL with row-level security
• AI Generation: Gemini 2.0 Flash with streaming support
• State Management: React hooks + session storage

Cost Considerations

• Gemini 2.0 Flash pricing: ~$0.01-0.02 per dialectic
• Supabase free tier: Suitable for development and small-scale production
• Vercel free tier: Suitable for MVP deployment

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Missing environment variables" error

   • Ensure .env.local exists with all required variables
   • Restart the dev server after adding env vars

2. Database connection errors

   • Verify Supabase URL and keys are correct
   • Check that database schema has been created

3. Gemini API errors

   • Ensure your API key is valid
   • Check quota limits in Google AI Studio

4. TypeScript errors

   • Run pnpm type-check to see all type errors
   • Ensure database types match your Supabase schema

Roadmap

• Add more fighters (target: 70+)
• Knowledge graph visualization
• Multi-fighter dialectics (3+ participants)
• Export dialectics as PDF/Markdown
• Community features (collections, comments)
• Mobile app

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Development Guidelines

1. Follow the existing code style
2. Write TypeScript types for new components
3. Test thoroughly before submitting PR
4. Update documentation for new features

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by Hegelian dialectics and the history of philosophical thought
• Built with cutting-edge AI technology from Google Gemini
• Powered by the open-source community

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Made with ⚔️ by the Dialectical.Claims team