Slippery Slope

There is no question that devastating consequences begin somewhere. If someone commits a terrible crime, their previous crimes might have led to it. However, notice the word "might" in this example. If someone commits a terrible crime, a previous crime may or may not have been the cause. This is where the slippery slope fallacy comes into play.

Slippery Slope Definition

The slippery slope argument is a logical fallacy. A fallacy is an error of some kind.

The slippery slope argument is specifically an informal logical fallacy, which means that its fallacy lies not in the structure of the logic (which would be a formal logical fallacy), but rather in something else about the argument.

To understand the slippery slope argument and fallacy, you must know the term "slippery slope."

A slippery slope is when something innocuous leads to something direr. The term is related to the idea of an avalanche or landslide, which may begin as a single shift higher on the slope, but grows into a huge and dangerous collapse of the mountainside.

However, a small shift only might lead to a landslide, and not all landslides begin with a small shift. This is how the slippery slope fallacy is born.

Not all landslides begin as pebbles, just because some landslides begin that way. Likewise, not all small-time criminals become big-time criminals, just because some big-time criminals were once small-time. To assert these things is to commit the slippery slope fallacy.

The slippery slope fallacy is an appeal to fear, similar to scare tactics.

This appeal to fear coupled with illogic creates the slippery slope fallacy.

Slippery Slope Argument

Here is a simple example of a slippery slope argument:

This fits the definition perfectly: an unsubstantiated assertion that a small issue will grow into a huge issue. Two parts are crucial: unsubstantiated and assertion.

• In this example, the assertion is "he's going to become a pyromaniac."

• In this example, the assertion is unsubstantiated because a ten-year-old liking to light fires is not evidence of pyromania.

There is nothing wrong with asserting in an argument. Indeed, confident and unhedged claims are preferable. However, assertions are only preferable in this way if they are substantiated, meaning supported by evidence.

Fig. 1 - A slippery slope argument delegitimizes a concern.

Why Slippery Slope is a Logical Fallacy

The lack of evidence makes the slippery slope argument a logical fallacy. To provide context, here is an example of a substantiated argument:

This example uses a study to assert a reasonable conclusion: Substance X shouldn't be used even in the short term. However, it isn't hard for this to become a slippery slope argument:

Obviously, there is a good reason not to take Substance X, but this slippery slope argument is exaggerated and unsubstantiated. The study cites 3rd and 4th-time users, and it only concludes that addiction results in 68% of cases. This is a far cry from all people who use substance X become junkies and end up homeless or dead.

Still, why not exaggerate? It's fair to say that no one should take Substance X, so why not paint the direst picture possible to dissuade them?

Why Not to Use the Slippery Slope Fallacy

If your argument is an exaggeration or lie, someone will find out. If you lie, someone can and will dismiss even the truer parts of your argument.

Take, for example, the absurd drug-related public service announcements (PSAs) of the 1980s, which showed drug users rapidly declining into monsters. These PSAs were filled to the brim with scare tactics and slippery slopes. One PSA showed a drug user deflating into a grim, flaccid version of themselves.

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.

Fig. 2 - "Listen, kid, you won't deflate into a monster. That was a slippery slope fallacy."

In cases like drug abuse, slippery slope arguments can fuel stubborn substance abusers and detract from those who use facts to prevent new substance abusers.

Slippery Slope Example in an Essay

Here's an example of how the slippery slope might appear in an essay format:

This is a strong assertion by the writer: that those defending a fictional character's actions will soon be "outright defending convicted felons." Unlike what this writer asserts, defending a character is not the same as defending a real crime because the context is literature, not life. For example, someone might defend Charlie's actions in terms of the author capturing the realities of his situation, defend Charlie's actions because they contribute to a theme, or defend Charlie's actions because they shed light on a social problem.

How to Avoid the Slippery Slope Argument

Here are a few tips to prevent making this kind of mistake yourself.

1. Understand the causes and effects in your topic. If you understand why things start and end, you are less likely to create a fallacious line of cause and effect.

2. Do not exaggerate. Although it may seem like a good way to drive a point home, exaggeration will only make your arguments easier to defeat logically. Why? Because your arguments will not be logical anymore. They will be exaggerations of the truth.

3. Make sure that your evidence matches your conclusion. Sometimes, you can get carried away by your argument. You can start with one thing but arrive somewhere much worse by the power argumentation. Always look back at your evidence: does the evidence support your conclusion, or is your conclusion built on little more than a persuasive line of rhetoric?

Slippery Slope Synonyms

There is no Latin term for the slippery slope, and there are no synonyms for this fallacy. However, the slippery slope is similar to other concepts, including the knock-on effect, ripple effect, and domino effect.

For instance, cane toads were introduced to Australia for pest control. The knock-on effect was an overabundance of cane toads that became an ecological menace, thanks to their poisonous skin.

For instance, World War I began as a regional conflict, but the effect of the conflict rippled outward from Europe and created a world war.

These are all related phenomena to the slippery slope. However, none of these is as closely associated with argumentation as the slippery slope. The slippery slope is the only one that can be classified as a scare tactic or logical fallacy.