The Language of Argument

2 8 2

cHaP Te r 1 3 ■ F a l l a c i e s o f V a g u e n e s s

Fairness Slippery-Slope Arguments

When borderline cases form a continuum, if someone classifies a case at one

end of the continuum, an opponent often challenges this classification by

asking, “Where do you draw the line?” This rhetorical question suggests

that differences along the continuum are “just a matter of degree,” so it is

arbitrary and, hence, unfair to draw a line at any particular point along the

continuum, because then very similar cases on different sides of the line will

be classified and treated very differently.

Questions about the fairness of drawing a line often arise in the law. For

example, given reasonable cause, the police generally do not have to obtain

a warrant to search a motor vehicle, for the obvious reason that the vehi-

cle might be driven away while the police go to a judge to obtain a war-

rant. On the other hand, with few exceptions, the police may not search a

formulate arguments for the following claims. Then explain what is wrong

with these arguments.

1. a. There are no heaps.
   b. There is no difference between a heap and a single grain of sand.


2. a. Nobody is tall.
   b. There is no difference between being tall and being short.


3. a. Books do not exist.
   b. There is no difference between a book and a pamphlet.


4. a. Heat is not real.
   b. There is no difference between being hot and being cold.


5. a. Taxes are never high.
   b. There is no difference between high taxes and low taxes.


6. a. Science is an illusion.
   b. There is no difference between science and faith.
   
   
   1. Do you think that differences among races have any role in developed
      theories in biology or sociology or any other science? Why or why not?
   
   
   
   


7. If animals evolve gradually from one species to another, does that show
   that there is no significant difference in biology between any species
   (say, horses and dogs)? Why or why not? Does it show that there is no
   important difference in moral theory between the rights of humans and
   the rights of animals in other species? Why or why not?

Discussion Questions

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