On the Slippery Slope Argument in Euthanasia

Abstract

The slippery slope argument is often used to argue that voluntary euthanasia should be banned from the start because otherwise we would sooner or later be compelled to accept some other untenable kinds of euthanasia. Although it is presented by its proponents as a forceful argument, for many others it is just a fallacy. In this article we shall examine some essential constituents of that argument (namely the metaphors that are involved in it and a few ideas that are taken for granted) and point out some of the main problems that the proponents of the argument have to face.