JUMPING TO AN UNLIKELY OR DISTANT CONSEQUENCE

Slippery Slope

Starting Point

We know that every action cause something else to happen, that causes something else to happen etc

Like when a train pulls its carriages

Like a food Chain

What is it?

When an arguer states that one action can accumulate downwards to a final consequence

So basically something small that you do will lead to a bad outcome

The action may not be bad, but it opens the door to the horrible consequence

Why is it used?

It is used to show that the first action is ‘immoral’ because it leads to the unwanted outcome

Action X Bad Outcome YThis leads to

Tries to prove that action X is therefore immoral

Example

(1) If you go to the Isle of Wight Festival, then next you’ll be going to the Glastonbury, and before you know it you’ll be a hippie, dirty and with long hair and everything.

(2) You don’t want to be a HippieTherefore(3) You shouldn’t go to the Isle of Wight

Festival

Example

(1) If you start gambling you find it hard to stop. Soon you are spending all your money on gambling, and you’ll end up homeless

(2) You do not want to be homelessTherefore(3) You shouldn’t start gambling

Example

(1) If you smoke one cigarette, you may want to have another. Soon you will then have to keep on smoking and smoking. This will lead to you having emphysema and dying.

(2) You do not want to dieTherefore(3)You should never smoke a cigarette