Thinking Tools: Heuristics, Fallacies, Thought Experiments, and Cognitive Biases

Vocabulary definitions for common mental strategies and reasoning errors based on the lecture notes.

Thinking tool

Any mental or conceptual strategy that helps us think more clearly or tackle complex problems

Heuristic

A useful mental shortcut, interpretive approach, or rule that is pragmatic and efficient but not necessarily perfect, such as Ockham’s Razor

Thought experiment

A hypothetical scenario designed to lead an audience to a specific conclusion through intuition, like Descartes’ evil demon

Fallacy

A common error in reasoning where the conclusion does not logically follow from the reasons, such as the ad hominem fallacy

Cognitive bias

A psychological error in thinking, affecting how we process information, perceive others, and make decisions, such as confirmation bias