What Is Slippery Slope Thinking?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In a slippery slope argument, a course of action is rejected because , with little or no evidence, one insists that it will lead to a chain reaction resulting in an undesirable end or ends. The slippery slope involves an acceptance of a succession of events without direct evidence that this course of events will happen.

What is slippery slope reasoning?

Slippery slope argument, in logic, the fallacy of arguing that a certain course of action is undesirable or that a certain proposition is implausible because it leads to an undesirable or implausible conclusion via a series of tenuously connected premises, each of which is understood to lead, causally or logically, to ...

What is a slippery slope example?

One of the most common real-life slippery slope examples is when you ‘re tempted by an unhealthy treat . The typical thought process goes something like this: If I eat this donut today, I’ll probably eat another donut tomorrow. If I eat one donut tomorrow, I might eat several donuts the next day.

Why slippery slope is a bad argument?

When it comes to conceptual slippery slopes, a proposed slope is generally fallacious because it ignores the ability to differentiate between two things even if it’s possible to transition from one of them to the other using a series of small steps.

Is slippery slope actually a fallacy?

Slippery slope.

A slippery slope argument is not always a fallacy . A slippery slope fallacy is an argument that says adopting one policy or taking one action will lead to a series of other policies or actions also being taken, without showing a causal connection between the advocated policy and the consequent policies.

What is an example of slippery?

The trails were muddy and slippery. Fish are slippery to hold. The sign cautions: “Slippery when wet.”

How do you use slippery slope in a sentence?

  1. There we go again down the slippery slope of racial profiling. ...
  2. Once the matter becomes one of preventative detention, an alarming slippery slope looms. ...
  3. Scotland has started on the slippery slope toward tuition fees.

What is another way to say slippery slope?

primrose path garden path life of ease path of least resistance

What is a red herring logical fallacy?

This fallacy consists in diverting attention from the real issue by focusing instead on an issue having only a surface relevance to the first . Examples: Son: “Wow, Dad, it’s really hard to make a living on my salary.” Father: “Consider yourself lucky, son. Why, when I was your age, I only made $40 a week.”

How do you identify a slippery slope fallacy?

A slippery slope fallacy occurs when someone makes a claim about a series of events that would lead to one major event, usually a bad event. In this fallacy, a person makes a claim that one event leads to another event and so on until we come to some awful conclusion.

How do you fix a slippery slope?

  1. Make sure the chain is complete. Explain each step of your argument as clearly as possible. ...
  2. Make sure each link in the chain is valid. ...
  3. Be careful not to overestimate the likeliness of your conclusion.

Can slippery slope arguments be good arguments?

They are slippery slope arguments simply because they argue on the basis of a claim that doing one thing will lead to a slippery slide to something else undesirable. But again, if there is good reason to think the causal connection between X and Y will hold, then the slippery slope argument may well be very good .

What is begging the question fallacy?

The fallacy of begging the question occurs when an argument’s premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it . In other words, you assume without proof the stand/position, or a significant part of the stand, that is in question. Begging the question is also called arguing in a circle.

What is ad Populum example?

Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam (Argument From Ignorance):​ concluding that something is true since you can’t prove it is false. For example “ God must exist , since no one can demonstrate that she does not exist.” ... ​Argumentum Ad Populum (Argument To The People):​ going along with the crowd in support of a conclusion.

Which of the 4 fallacies is the most common?

  • 1) The Straw Man Fallacy. ...
  • 2) The Bandwagon Fallacy. ...
  • 3) The Appeal to Authority Fallacy. ...
  • 4) The False Dilemma Fallacy. ...
  • 5) The Hasty Generalization Fallacy. ...
  • 6) The Slothful Induction Fallacy. ...
  • 7) The Correlation/Causation Fallacy. ...
  • 8) The Anecdotal Evidence Fallacy.

What is an example of straw man?

Examples of Straw Man: 1. Senator Smith says that the nation should not add to the defense budget. Senator Jones says that he cannot believe that Senator Smith wants to leave the nation defenseless.

David Martineau
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David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.