Monday, June 22, 2020

Slippery slope III

Courtesy J.C. Zombie: Las Vegas
Slippery slope III

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June 22, 2020 article, edited for an entry on academia.edu on August 18, 2022.

Madsen Pirie on the slippery slope fallacy

I have discussed the slippery slope argument, considered fallacious by British, philosopher Madsen Pirie with the two links above.

The fallacy assumes that a single step in a particular direction, inevitably means that the whole distance will be covered. (189). But, the truth is, sometimes a single step leads to another and there are cases when it does not. (189). I agree with Pirie where he reasons: 'There is a limited class of cases in which someone is doomed after a first step...' Stepping off a skyscraper being a good philosophical example. (189). 

Based on the author's example: (189). If we lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 years of age, soon there will be a call in society for the legal drinking age to be lowered to 16 years of age. This is unlikely as in the 21st Century, the standard age of adulthood is typically 18 years of age. Therefore, it is doubtful there would be societal calls for the legal age of drinking to be below 'universal' adulthood. The fallacy fails to differentiate between far-reaching actions and limited actions. (190). The author opines that most proposals would lead to disaster if taken too far. 

My examples: 

If one smokes marijuana, it will lead to cocaine use. This is true at times, marijuana being documented as a gateway drug, but it is not always the case in every instance. As it is written it is fallacious. If one smokes marijuana, it may lead to cocaine use. Reasonable. (I have no interest in recreational drugs or in the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs.) 

I can accept that slippery slope is fallacious because a single step in a direction, does not mean that the whole distance will be covered. (189). In fact, there could be steps forward and steps backward.

Slippery slope with ridiculous example

From my 2018 entry, the sermon mentioned was stating that the modern Christian trying to be cool, ends up in a slippery slope of degrading moral thoughts, acts and actions. A Christian trying to be cool and relatable to people in the world system, drinks alcohol a bit, gets a tattoo and smokes a little marijuana and soon is hooked on drugs, alcohol and fornication. In other words, the Christian wanting to be cool, ends up living in a very similar way to the non-believer. 

To highlight Pirie's view of the slippery slope argument as fallacy, I added the satirical, humourous example. The premise being that actions described by the pastor can ultimately, in my satirical words, lead to 'orgies.' The ridiculousness of this imagined, formulaic, chain of moral thoughts, acts and actions, demonstrates the fallacious nature of the idea of the slippery slope argument. Being somewhat cool, in a social situation, may include the limited use of alcohol and most moderate drinkers do not end up alcoholics. It is not a slippery slope. It is not universal or even typical.

For balance

For balance though, philosophical and worldview trends do need to be considered. Moderation and reason is key in regards to social and political movements supported by those within the Christian Church prayerfully, desiring to be true to the scripture. This whether of the moderate left or the moderate right. 

Do advancements by the social and political left in our societies mean that Canada and the United States will eventually end up, Marxist, socialist states? No, as on this website, I agree with philosopher Pirie and reject the slippery slope argument. Some advancements where the left are involved, are actually in agreement with a New Testament worldview, such as a more focused social and political opposition to racism (Galatians 3: 28, 1 Corinthians 12: 12-13). 

But I can conclude that governments that embrace radicalized views will generally produce radicalized government. In my humble opinion, the radical left, given enough power will 'cannibalize' the moderates on the left. As the radical right, given enough power, would 'cannibalize' the moderates on the right.

(I support neither the radical left or radical right, but view a rise of the radical left, more likely in western societies, at present)

Theoretically, if the radical left becomes more mainstream, a scenario where biblical Christianity, biblical Christian institutions and biblical Christians run ethically and legally, afoul of governments, and societies because of political correctness, is reasonable and not far-fetched. New Testament sexual ethics, reasonably interpreted in scriptural context, for church members, one example.  

PIRIE, MADSEN (2006)(2015) How To Win Every Argument, Bloomsbury, London.

Courtesy J.C. Zombie
Stop sending me this

This is obviously satire and not a true likeness.

Pastor Osteen teaches a prosperity gospel, also known as health and wealth gospel. But, a full (more complete and accurate) gospel message and its 'bloody cross' and the associated positives and negatives from the biblical gospel, for humanity, are not likely as profitable to preach, today. 

I have heard Osteen preach the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is capable of preaching a basic gospel message and God's sovereignty, which are decently accurate by my Reformed standards. 

If Pastor Osteen preached biblically, far more, instead of  presenting presumptive theology assuming a prosperous, divine, 'destiny' for people, he might gain a little credibility with some critics.
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BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

CONWAY DAVID A. AND RONALD MUNSON (1997) The Elements of Reasoning, Wadsworth Publishing Company, New York.

COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.

PAPINEAU, DAVID (Gen. Ed) (2016) Philosophy: Theories and Great Thinkers, New York, Shelter Harbour Press.

PIRIE, MADSEN (2006)(2015) How To Win Every Argument, Bloomsbury, London.

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York. (Philosophy). 

SAMPLES, KENNETH (2014) How to Evaluate an Abductive Argument, Reasons to Believe, Covina, California.

SZUDEK, ANDY & TORSLEY, SARAH (2018) The Little Book of Philosophy, Landau Cecile (Ed), London, DK Publishing.

WALTON, D.N. (1992) Slippery Slope Arguments, Clarendon Press.
https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/Slippery-Slope

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