A Trilemmatic Decomposition Framework for Claim Analysis
Discussion Paper [DP-2601] | Dissensus AI
Note: This paper is currently in progress. The framework is complete but the manuscript is still being refined.
This paper formalizes a dialectical technique for claim analysis termed "the Trident." The method decomposes any claim into three mutually exclusive forks, each of which either (a) reduces to absurdity through logical extension, (b) contradicts the claimant's implicit commitments, or (c) retreats to unfalsifiable vagueness. Drawing on the Socratic elenchus, Wittgenstein's linguistic therapy, and contemporary argumentation theory, we demonstrate that the Trident provides a systematic framework for identifying structural incoherence in philosophical, political, and scientific claims. The framework is distinguished from mere skepticism by its constructive falsifiability condition: a claim survives the Trident if and only if all three forks preserve coherence. We present formal definitions, worked examples across multiple domains, and discuss limitations. The Trident is offered as a diagnostic instrument for epistemic hygiene, not a theory of truth.
| Finding | Result |
|---|---|
| Three-fork decomposition | Any claim is tested via: Fork 1 (Reductio) --- accept the load-bearing assumption and extend to absurdity; Fork 2 (Contradiction) --- reject the assumption and lose coherence; Fork 3 (Vagueness) --- render the assumption flexible and the claim becomes unfalsifiable |
| Formal survival condition | A claim survives iff there exists a precise formulation of its load-bearing assumption that avoids absurdity, maintains coherence with background commitments, and remains falsifiable |
| Exhaustive trichotomy | The three forks represent the complete logical space of responses to any premise-challenge: accept and extend, reject and lose, or equivocate |
| Falsifiability of the method itself | The Trident is not mere skepticism --- it fails when claims survive all three forks (e.g., "Water boils at 100C at standard pressure" passes cleanly) |
| Load-bearing assumption identification | Systematic criteria: A is load-bearing iff C presupposes it, A is implicit (not defended), and A is contestable |
| Cross-domain applicability | Worked examples span political philosophy ("Traditional values built civilization"), ethics ("All people deserve equal rights"), libertarian theory ("Taxation is theft"), and philosophy of mind ("Consciousness is what makes us human") |
Argumentation theory, trilemma, dialectic, Socratic method, epistemic hygiene, claim analysis, informal logic
@article{Farzulla2026Trident,
author = {Farzulla, Murad},
title = {The Trident: A Trilemmatic Decomposition Framework for Claim Analysis},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.18195275},
note = {Dissensus AI Discussion Paper DP-2601}
}- Murad Farzulla --- Dissensus AI & King's College London
- ORCID: 0009-0002-7164-8704
- Email: murad@dissensus.ai
Paper content: CC-BY-4.0