Part One: Introduction and Perspectives
1. The Three Basic Types of Slippery Slope Argument
2. The Combined or Full Version
3. Four Previous Developments
4. Summary of Main Theses
5. The Pragmatic Perspective on Arguments
6. Stages of Argumentative Dialogue
7. Fallacies as Sophistical Refutations
8. The Tip of the Iceberg Theory
9. The Language of Fallacies
10. A New Theory of Fallacy
Part Two: The Sorites Slippery Slope Argument
1. Ancient Origins: The Heap and the Bald Man
2. The Sorites Paradox
3. The Practical Problem of the Use of the Sorites Argument
4. Verbal Disputes and Vague Concepts: The Abortion Case
5. Modus Operandi of the Sorites Slippery Slope
6. Argumentation Scheme for the Sorites Slippery Slope
7. Appropriate Critical Questions
8. Precise Definition and Arbitrariness
9. What Is the Fallacy
10. Rights in Using Vague Terms and Proposing Definitions in a Discussion
Part Three: The Causal Slippery Slope Argument
1. The Textbook Accounts
2. Dependency on Empirical Evidence
3. Cases of Drug Addiction
4. Practical Reasoning
5. Argumentation Scheme for the Causal Slippery Slope
6. Critical Questions for the Causal Slippery Slope
7. Fallacy or Weak Argument?
8. Does the Causal Slippery Slope Fallacy Exist?
9. Classification Problems
10. Rethinking the Causal Slippery Slope
Part Four: The Precedent Slippery Slope Argument
1. Precedents in Argumentation
2. Varieties of Precedent Slopes
3. Fallacious or Not?
4. Case-Based Reasoning
5. Ad Hominem Circumstantial Inconsistency
6. Personal Circumstances and Actions
7. Rebutting Arguments from Case-to-Case Inconsistency
8. Exceptions to the Rule
9. Antecedent Climate of Opinion
10. Argumentation Scheme for the Precedent Slippery Slope
Part Five: The Full Slippery Slope Argument
1. Two Classic Cases of Euthanasia
2. A Case of Pornography and Censorship
3. The Short Form
4. Techniques of Attack
5. The Public Acceptance Premise
6. Feedback and Circular Reasoning
7. Ad Populum and Ad Baculum Arguments
8. The Argument from Popularity
9. Argumentation Scheme for the Full Slippery Slope
10. Critical Questions for the Full Slippery Slope
Part Six: Analysis of the Dialectical Structure of Slippery Slope
Arguments
1. The Six Basic Characteristics
2. The Argument from Gradualism
3. Slippery Slope as a Gradualistic Argument
4. Presumptive Conditionals
5. Presumptive Argumentation
6. The Composite Nature of Slippery Slope
7. The Forwards and Backwards Movement
8. The Mechanism of the Movement
9. When Is a Slippery Slope Argument Fallacious?
10. A New Approach Opened Up
Part Seven: Practical Advice on Tactics
1. Effective Refutation
2. The Framework of Practical Reasoning
3. The Tactical Framework
4. The Prisoners' Voting Case
5. Six Tactics to Counter a Slippery Slope
6. Applying the First Tactic
7. The Case of Texas v. Johnson
8. Public Reaction in the Flag-Burning Case
9. Pinning the Fallacy Down
10. Underlying Structural Characteristics
References
Index
