The slope

A slippery slope says that one small permission will lead, without a reason at each step, to a disaster. One quiz retake becomes every exam, then meaningless degrees. Sometimes slopes are real: there is a mechanism, and you can say what it is. The fallacy is the bare chain. Each step needs its own reason. Ask which step is the first one that does not follow. You can still oppose the first permission. You just cannot borrow the last disaster until you have shown the path between them.

Fallacy

Slippery slope

A slippery slope says a modest step will lead, without a shown mechanism, to an extreme result. Slopes can be real when each step is likely. The fallacy is the bare claim that one concession dissolves the whole line.

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Mini check

"If we let students retake one quiz, soon they will retake every exam, then degrees will mean nothing." What is the weak step?

Further steps are assumed, and no reason is given for each.It answers the policy by attacking the students' character.It slides one word between two meanings in the argument.It piles on statistics, as if numbers were the fault shown.

Try it today

When someone predicts a chain of consequences, ask for the reason at the second step only.

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