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⇱ How to Improve Your Thinking | Coursera


How to Improve Your Thinking

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How to Improve Your Thinking

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Identify and avoid common reasoning fallacies like the strawman, ad hominem, and question-begging.

  • Apply philosophical tools to make sharper distinctions and stress-test your own arguments.

  • Build the habits of intellectual humility and reflective thinking that underpin better reasoning.

Details to know

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Recently updated!

April 2026

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Strategic Decision Making Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Great thinking isn't just for philosophers β€” it's a skill anyone can build, and it touches every part of your life, from the decisions you make to the conversations you have. This course gives you a practical toolkit for thinking more clearly, arguing more honestly, and engaging more thoughtfully with the world around you.

You'll learn to slow down your reasoning and catch the cognitive shortcuts that lead to bad decisions. You'll master key philosophical tools β€” from making precise distinctions to stress-testing your own arguments using the Superhero Technique. You'll identify the most common reasoning fallacies, including the strawman, ad hominem, and question-begging, and learn exactly how to avoid them. And you'll develop a sharper, more defensible relationship with truth itself. What makes this course unique is its emphasis on thinking as a social activity. Being a better thinker means being a better communicator, a more generous listener, and a more responsible participant in every conversation you're part of. Whether you're navigating a difficult debate, evaluating a source, or facing a decision with no clear answer, this course gives you the tools to think with confidence.

Good thinking isn't just a set of techniques β€” it starts with the right attitude toward yourself, your ideas, and the people around you. In this module, you'll build the foundational habits of intellectual humility and reflective thinking that make every other thinking skill possible, including recognizing that your reasoning is always shaped by the social world you're part of.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

4 videosβ€’Total 11 minutes
  • Why Does Thinking Matter?β€’1 minute
  • Thinking With Othersβ€’3 minutes
  • Cultivating Intellectual Humilityβ€’3 minutes
  • Taking Your Timeβ€’3 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 30 minutes
  • Check Your Thinkingβ€’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Thinking as a Social Activityβ€’10 minutes

Thinking clearly isn't just about avoiding mistakes β€” it's about having the right tools to cut through confusion before it starts. In this module, you'll apply key philosophical techniques, from making precise distinctions to stress-testing your own arguments, so you can analyze any idea with greater confidence and precision.

What's included

6 videos2 assignments1 discussion prompt

6 videosβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Making Distinctionsβ€’3 minutes
  • Making More Distinctionsβ€’3 minutes
  • Only The Best Argumentβ€’3 minutes
  • Assessing Your Sourcesβ€’3 minutes
  • Use Generalizations Carefullyβ€’3 minutes
  • Considering Other Worldsβ€’3 minutes
2 assignmentsβ€’Total 50 minutes
  • Sharp Thinking in Actionβ€’30 minutes
  • Evaluating Your Sourcesβ€’20 minutes
1 discussion promptβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Making Distinctionsβ€’10 minutes

Arguing well isn't about winning β€” it's about getting to the truth, and that requires a specific set of habits most people never develop. In this module, you'll apply the principle of charity, practice defining your terms precisely, and spot the common fallacies that quietly undermine even the most confident reasoning.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment

4 videosβ€’Total 12 minutes
  • Not Defining Your Termsβ€’4 minutes
  • Resisting The Strawmanβ€’3 minutes
  • Infamous Ad Hominemβ€’3 minutes
  • On Question-Beggingβ€’3 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 30 minutes
  • Things To Avoidβ€’30 minutes

The hardest thinking challenges aren't the ones that need more data β€” they're the ones that need better questions and a clearer sense of what truth actually means. In this module, you'll gain two practical questioning techniques to uncover hidden bias, sharpen your position on truth claims, and approach uncertainty with the confidence to make a call and learn from it.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

4 videosβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Two Key Questionsβ€’3 minutes
  • What's Up With Truth?β€’3 minutes
  • When Thinking Isn't The Right Toolβ€’2 minutes
  • Where to Go From Hereβ€’2 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 30 minutes
  • Put It All Togetherβ€’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Ask a Better Questionβ€’10 minutes

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Instructor

Madecraft
71 Coursesβ€’2,882 learners

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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

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