Claude defaults to answering questions. That’s fine for most things, but some questions aren’t looking for answers — they’re looking for clarity. Deliberation is a Claude Code plugin with three skills that replace debate-style reasoning with discernment: voices speak once, silence has weight, and a clerk discerns where unity lies instead of counting votes.
Install
/plugin marketplace add 2389-research/claude-plugins
/plugin install deliberation
Then bring a question worth sitting with. “Should we open-source this?” works. “What’s the best sorting algorithm?” doesn’t.
What it does
Three skills, each for a different situation.
deliberation:discernment is for weighty questions you’re handing to Claude. It convenes 3-5 context-relevant perspectives, each speaks once to the matter, and a clerk synthesizes toward unity. If unity doesn’t emerge, the clerk says so — no forced conclusions.
deliberation:clearness spawns a multi-agent committee for parallel deep analysis. You confirm the committee composition, specialized agents run real analysis from their perspectives, and the clerk synthesizes findings. Use it for architecture decisions, code reviews, or research where depth matters more than speed.
deliberation:gathered is for when you have a stake in the outcome, not just a question. You join as a voice alongside the agents. The skill teaches the discipline — speak once, don’t react, discern — and your contribution shapes the synthesis. The process is slow on purpose.
All three share the same core behavior: voices speak once then listen, tensions get named instead of hidden, and “standing aside” (disagree but won’t block) is a valid outcome.
How it works
The main deliberation skill routes based on context. If you have a perspective, it picks gathered. If the question needs parallel depth, clearness. Otherwise, discernment.
Each skill follows the same arc: propose perspectives, have each speak once with silence between, then a clerk role reads the room and names where unity lies. Blocking is rare and reserved for core principle violations. The more common outcomes are unity, standing aside, or an honest acknowledgment that the way hasn’t opened yet.
Requirements
Claude Code with plugin support. No external APIs, no dependencies.