Slippery Slope Arguments – David Enoch
David Enoch published an article on slippery slope arguments and it has been mentioned here on the site several times. I would like to hear your opinion on his argument (which I am not convinced of at the moment, mainly because of trivial objections that Enoch raises there). I am of course trying to present his words as they are, but with the limitations of my understanding and the required conciseness, one cannot expect too much. So I ask about the argument that will be presented here, and as mentioned, it has appeared on the site several times, whether this is what Enoch writes or not. If further expansion is preferable (for example, on the relationship to the stacking paradox arguments) then I can add more than what Enoch writes there. https://academic.oup.com/ojls/article-abstract/21/4/629/1459375
A. [Chapter 2 of the article] What is the slippery slope in question? It is a given that act A in itself is legitimate and act Z in itself is not legitimate, and we are aware of the distinction between them. Now we fear that performing act A will lead us in a gradual process to also do act Z, even though we are currently aware of the fundamental distinction between A and Z. Why? It is possible that the opinion itself will be blurred and a difficulty of the type of weakness of will may be strengthened. In other words, there is an assumption here – and this is the “fundamental assumption” in slippery slope arguments – that we are not always successful in acting according to the relevant distinction.
on. [Chapter 3 of the article] The slippery slope argument (SLA) depends, among other things, on the degree of slipperiness. When the degree of slipperiness is high, it is a strong SLA that we think is right to use. When the degree of slipperiness is low, it is a weak SLA that we think is wrong (and sometimes even bad and harmful) to use. It is quite difficult to distinguish between degrees of slipperiness, and therefore there is significant slipperiness between strong SLAs (A) and weak SLAs (Z). Therefore, the correct use of strong SLAs may lead us to the incorrect use of weak SLAs. Therefore, it is not advisable to use even strong SLAs. It is SLA against SLAs, and therefore the only consistent approach is to avoid SLAs.
third. [Continued Chapter 3] 1. False anti-corruption has its costs because sometimes something is forbidden that is in itself appropriate and necessary. 2. The degree of fluidity between slippery measures is high, as can be seen from the fact that a large literature deals with the criticism of defective anti-corruption. [End of Chapter 4] 3. He claims that a blanket avoidance of the use of anti-corruption has overall better results than the use of both strong and weak anti-corruption.
A. I didn’t see a counter-argument here. Indeed, we are not always successful nor are we always aware of the difference between these actions. Especially when it comes to a public that consists of many people.
on. Nonsense, of course. The slippery slope argument is not mandatory, meaning it is not always used. It depends on what the expected harm is and what the chance of achieving it is, and in contrast, what the harm is from current avoidance.
third. Same as above. It is not about complete use nor complete avoidance.
In short, these arguments are just empty talk.
(The argument is in section B. The rest is introductions and sequels. I followed the order of the article. I hope I didn't do it a disservice.)
Well, actually, that's also what I think on the subject.
Incidentally, Enoch deals with this obvious reservation there (that the argument is not mandatory and that only the comparison of the expected results is considered) and he seems to be declaring that in his opinion, a blanket avoidance of drugs leads overall to better results than their current use. And that each specific drug should be more successful than the general drug he proposed. In any case, this argument is a nice thought, and since it has been mentioned here several times, I thought you had more respect for him.
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