Slippery slope

As slippery slope argument is called a reasoning (or rhetorical technique ), which is that the opponent warns the proponent prior to the completion of a particular step or a specific action and thereby argues that this action " the dam breaks " or the was the beginning of an inclined plane and thus piece by piece further negative consequences result have (hence " argument of the inclined plane " or " Slippery Slope " argument ).

The argument pattern is not strictly deductive, but a more practical and application-oriented element of the ethical debate.

Thus, the argument seems, on the one hand, the prognosis must be plausible and on the other hand are the finally predicted final action as entirely morally ablehnenswert.

Alternative designations

Names in German-speaking countries:

• Domino effect
• Avalanche effect
• Go off the rails
• Have similar meaning phrases such as: Spiral of violence
• Poisoning the atmosphere
• Lowering of inhibitions
• Create a precedent
• Blunt
• Habituation effect

Other names in Anglo-Saxon are:

• Wedge - argument ( wedge argument), the thin edge of the wedge ( the thin end of a wedge )
• The foot in the door ( The foot in the door )
• The genie in the bottle ( The spirit in the bottle)
• The snowball argument ( The Snowball Effect)
• The camels ' noses in / under the tent ( the camel nose in / under the tent )

Characteristics

After Douglas Walton, there are six typical features:

Examples

In the discussion about new medical method, the floodgates argument of opponents is used to restrict this, as for example in the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).