THE SLIPPERY SLOPE- not as sexy as it sounds
HI TO ALL MY
FRIENDS! I’m going to try something new. I’m calling it FALLACY FRIDAY. Every Friday for the next few weeks, I’m going to
pick one logical fallacy and try to explain it. A logical fallacy is an error
in reasoning that makes a particular line of an argument invalid. To start off,
let’s talk about a fallacy called the Slippery Slope Logic Fallacy (SSLP). We have all heard it. If we allow some small event
(A) then it’s a slippery slope to some horrible future dystopia (D). To break
it down a little more what the person doing all the talking is actually arguing
is that, if we allow event A to occur, it will lead to B, which will lead to C
which will lead to dystopia D. For a Slippery Slope argument to actually be
valid, the person making the argument must prove that A will INEVITABLY lead to
B, which will INEVITABLY lead to B and so on. You see I capitalized
"INEVITABLE" it doesn't mean I'm yelling. It just means that part is
important. If they can’t prove that each step is INEVITABLE, (stop yelling)
then they have just fallen on the Slippery Slope logical fallacy.
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