Skill.md
Essays in Persuasion
John Maynard Keynes wrote Essays in Persuasion to collect his most important economic arguments from 1919 to 1931 — on Versailles reparations, inflation and deflation, the return to the gold standard, and the Great Slump. His goal was not to write academic theory but to change minds and prevent policy mistakes. This Claude skill encodes his diagnostic frameworks as an executable tool for evaluating macroeconomic policy: when is fiscal stimulus appropriate? When does monetary easing fail? Is a debtor actually able to pay? What does deflation really mean for borrowers?
Core Framework
The skill applies six analytical dimensions from Keynes's essays:
| Dimension | Core Question |
|---|---|
| Transfer Problem | Can the debtor generate foreign exchange, not just domestic currency? |
| Inflation vs. Deflation | Which is more harmful given current unemployment and debt structure? |
| Fixed Exchange Rate Trap | Is adjustment forced through unemployment rather than depreciation? |
| Aggregate Demand | Is the paradox of thrift operating? Have animal spirits collapsed? |
| Fiscal Policy Limits | Will the multiplier work, or does spending merely recycle idle debt? |
| Practical Wisdom | Is this prescription appropriate to the crisis at hand, not just theoretically correct? |
Supported Query Types
- Policy evaluation: "Will this fiscal/monetary policy work?"
- Crisis diagnosis: "Analyze this economic crisis using Keynes's framework"
- Inflation/deflation analysis: "Is deflation or inflation the bigger risk right now?"
- Debt sustainability: "Can this country actually repay its debts?"
- Stimulus effectiveness: "Will austerity reduce the deficit?"
How to Use
- Install the skill: Download the folder and upload it in Claude.ai under Settings → Skills
- Describe the economic situation: Provide country, current data, or policy context
- Ask your question: Use the trigger phrases above or describe your analytical need directly
- Drill deeper: Ask about specific frameworks (paradox of thrift, animal spirits, transfer problem)
Limitations
This skill encodes Keynes's frameworks from Essays in Persuasion and is most applicable to demand-side economic problems — recessions, debt crises, deflation, and fiscal policy choices. It does not cover supply-side structural reforms, microeconomic analysis, or specific investment decisions. All data should be verified against official sources.