The Slippery Slope Argument is Based on Fallacious Reasoning

The slippery slope argument is a form of fallacious reasoning. The argument goes something like this: If the government is allowed to look at phone calls from known terrorists then what is to stop them from listening to everyone's phone calls. This is a false way to look at the issue since the reasoning validating the first part of the statement does not apply to the second part. The second part of the slippery slope argument will either stand or fall on its own merits; the first part has nothing to do with it.

Here is a common slippery slope argument that has stopped the advancement of rights in the area of death. Anytime someone brings up the idea of physician assisted suicide the slippery slope argument springs up that next is Nazi style gas chambers. One has nothing to do with the other but it is always used and has always worked. We are not able to have a rational discussion of common sense end of life treatment because the next thing you know we are warned, we will be rounding up all the old people and putting them in extermination camps. The idea that someone with a fatal and painful disease could seek help from a doctor to end their life has nothing to do with rounding up old people for extermination.