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See the structure behind every argument.

The Whetstone analyses the reasoning in any text — what's claimed, what evidence is offered, where the logic breaks down, and the strongest opposing case the writer didn't engage with. Not a verdict on who's right. A structural view of how the argument works.

What the engine analyses

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Argument structure

Toulmin decomposition — claim, grounds, warrant, weakest link. The skeleton of the argument, stripped of rhetoric.

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26 reasoning patterns

From Post Hoc to Motte-and-Bailey, Selection Bias to Genetic Fallacy. Verbatim quotes, severity, confidence.

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Counterarguments

The 2–3 strongest objections a thoughtful opponent would deploy — each with its own Toulmin structure.

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Citation audit

Every cited URL fetched and checked — does the source actually support the claim it's cited for?

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Philosophical commitments

The ethical, epistemic, and political framework the argument operates within — made visible.

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Evidence-weighted likelihood

For empirical claims, we search 200M+ academic papers and assess scientific consensus.