As a writer and discerning reader, the best you can do to spot, argue against, and stop yourself from making slippery slope arguments is to separate facts from speculation and research any relevant statistics related to a claim. Determine whether there is evidence to support the claimed relationship between two or more events, and where possible, see if there’s any record of the arguer’s claim actually happening. But keep in mind that just because something has happened in the past doesn’t guarantee that it’ll play out the same way again—though there’s a possibility it will. A precedential slippery slope is an argument that suggests that if we set the precedent of treating something relatively minor a certain way now, then we will have to treat something relatively major the same way later on. For example, a precedential slippery slope could involve arguing that if we legalize a relatively harmless drug now, then we will also have to legalize a much more harmful drug later. Point out the distance between the start and end points of the slope. Demonstrating the distance between the start and end points of the slope helps illustrate why one is unlikely to lead to the other, and why it’s possible to justify treating the two in different ways. Anecdotally, it would be easy for a drug user to dismiss these arguments when talking to a young person because they don't occur. When people use drugs, outlandish, scary transformations, like turning into a snake monster, don't happen.

This is a fallacy because there is only an assumed connection between passing an exam and finding a good job. It’s an extreme conclusion that doesn’t logically follow. You can use any combination of these approaches that you think will work well. When you do this, keep in mind that the effectiveness of each approach will vary based on a number of factors, such as the type of slippery slope which was used, the context in which it appeared, and the audience it was presented to. Even if some hypothetical sequence of events is possible, the argument is fallacious if it is unlikely that the sequence of events will actually happen. If there is little evidence that the presented causal chain is likely, then the argument is weak. For Conceptual Slopes By switching to a four-day workweek, employees will have more time to spend with their families. By spending more time with their families, they’ll be happier and more productive at work. As such, while some slippery slopes are clearly reasonable, such as when they include a complete and definitive chain of events, and other slippery slopes are clearly fallacious, such as when there is no possible way to reach from the first event in the chain to the final one, the status of some slippery slopes is unclear and up for debate.Try to find a reason that we can stop the slope in the transition period. There might be a good reason to think the slope will not proceed all the way if there is a principled stopping point. Show how you can prevent the initial event from leading to the final event. Call out underlying premises Butterfly effect. This metaphor refers to the idea that a minor initial action can lead to major, unforeseeable consequences down the road, as in a situation where a butterfly flapping its wings at one time ends up influencing the path of a tornado later on. If our state legalizes cannabis, it’ll go on to legalize other drugs, and we’ll see a huge increase in addiction problems. Conceptual slippery slope arguments assume that because we cannot draw a distinction between adjacent stages, we cannot draw a distinction between any stages at all. Conceptual slippery slope fallacy example“There is no essential difference between 199 and 200 grains of sand or 200 and 201 grains and so on. Thus, there is no difference between 1 grain of sand and 3 billion grains of sand.”

The longer you keep the ball on the course, the faster the ball will be rolling. This game is both exhilarating and challenging to play. ​You can practice hundreds of times to avoid colliding with obstacles while allowing the ball to continue on the slope. You will enjoy this game if you prefer fast-paced platform games. If we allow this customer to give an IOU instead of paying their full bill, we’ll need to accept IOUs from anybody who can’t afford their entire bill. Slippery slope arguments are not inherently fallacious, and in some cases, a slippery slope argument can be a sound form of reasoning, rather than a logical fallacy. For example, the following is an example of a reasonable slippery slope argument:Slippery slope arguments that are used in this manner often involve extreme exaggeration, which evokes powerful emotions. Accordingly, slippery slopes are often combined with appeals to emotion, usually with the goal of appealing to negative emotions, such as fear or hate, but sometimes with the goal of appealing to positive emotions, such as hope or compassion. Slippery slope arguments take advantage of the gray area between an initial action or decision and the possible next steps that might lead to the undesirable outcome. You can point out these missing steps and ask your partner to indicate what evidence exists to support the claimed relationship between two or more events. Note: because of its association with the sorites paradox and the concept of assimilation, the conceptual slippery slope is sometimes referred to as a sorites slippery slope or as the slippery assimilation fallacy.

We’ll cover non-fallacious uses of the slippery slope later in this post. First, let’s learn exactly what the slippery slope fallacy is, what it covers, and how it’s used. This is similar to the strategy you can use to determine whether a claim about somebody is a relevant point or a straw man argument —do the facts support the claim, or is it an oversimplified, extreme take? Fallacious causal slippery slope arguments rely on exaggerating the strength or severity of causal connections between events.If we allow people to leave fires unattended anywhere in the forest, we will likely end up with a forest fire on our hands sometime in the future.” Note: slippery slopes that are associated with a positive chain of events are sometimes referred to as representing a virtuous cycle, while slippery slopes that are associated with a negative chain of events are sometimes referred to as representing a vicious cycle. Interviews and debates on controversial topics are rife with slippery slope fallacies. Slippery slope fallacy examples in mediaPoliticians who oppose same-sex marriage may deploy this tactic when asked why they believe what they do, offering arguments such as: “If we legalise same-sex marriage, what will stop us from legalizing marriage between humans and robots? Or humans and animals?” This is a fallacy because there is no logical proof that allowing same-sex marriage will inevitably lead to marriage between humans and objects or animals.

A causal slippery slope is an argument that suggests that undertaking an initial action will lead to a chain of events that will culminate in a dramatic outcome. For example, a causal slippery slope could involve arguing that if we help students who struggle by providing them with extra tutoring, then eventually we will simply give perfect grades to all students regardless if they put in any effort or not. Slippery slope arguments can be either reasonable or fallacious; their validity depends on a number of factors, such as the likelihood that the initial event in question will lead to the proposed end result, and the phrasing used to convey this likelihood. Relaxing our school’s admission criteria will lead to more students attending, which will put a greater strain on our already limited resources. Various laws have exceptions but the laws still manage to function. What matters is the reason for granting the exception. In extenuating circumstances, it may be correct to give an exception to some established rules. Why Are Slippery Slopes

More like this

Bursting dam. This metaphor represents the idea that once a minor event occurs, an extreme and catastrophic outcome will occur as a result Different philosophers have classified slippery slope arguments in different ways. In general, there are three main types of slippery slope fallacies, depending on the type of erroneous argument at their core. Causal slippery slope arguments