Moral Dilemmas and Moral Ambiguity
Jul 19, 2005It would be nice if we always knew the morally right thing to do, if our choices and commitments were painted in stark black and white.
[VIDEO] The Slippery Slope
Eliane Mitchell
16 January 2018
The slippery slope argument is an argument where one action is argued to start a chain of events that will result in undesirable consequences. Take, for example, the argument that "If gay marriage is allowed, then people will want to marry objects or animals." When is the slippery slope argument fallacious and when is it—if ever—compelling?
This video from Wireless Philosophy gives a helpful explanation of the slippery slope argument and how to avoid committing a logical fallacy. Watch it here:
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Related Shows
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Jul 19, 2005It would be nice if we always knew the morally right thing to do, if our choices and commitments were painted in stark black and white.
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Why do some people have a strange desire to do weird things for no (good) reason? There's something fascinating about kids who eat laundry soap as part of a “challenge,” or people who deliberately... Read more
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In her time—the 4th century CE—Hypatia was one of the most famous philosophers in Alexandria, and indeed in the ancient world. She studied and taught mathematics,... Read more
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Comments (1)
Harold G. Neuman
Thursday, January 25, 2018 -- 10:32 AM
The slippery slope is anThe slippery slope is an ultra-conservative bucket of hogwash, having nothing to do with objective reality. It is conventionally evoked when the arguments for and against something effectively cancel one another out. Conservative folks take the approach they believe is most defensible. They do not wish to appear indecisive and 'the slope argument' is a safe bet: if it averts an outcome they abhor, they win. If it proves totally fallacious, they can always say: 'yeah, THIS time...' In either case, they remain true to their roots and righteously indignant at the notion they are being knee-jerk reactionaries.