The use of cognitive science concepts—biases, heuristics, cognitive distortions—to dismiss arguments rather than understand thinking. Cognitive Sophism turns the study of mind into a weapon against minds: "that's confirmation bias" becomes a way to avoid engagement; "you're victim of cognitive distortion" pathologizes disagreement. The cognitive sophist uses the language of science to dismiss, not to understand.
"He called every disagreement a cognitive bias—confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, Dunning-Kruger. Cognitive Sophism: using science's vocabulary to avoid science's work. The terms became labels, not insights. Understanding was replaced by name-calling with a scientific veneer."
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 7, 2026
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