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The great slippery-slope argument

J A Burgess1

  • 1University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.

Journal of Medical Ethics
|September 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

This study evaluates slippery-slope arguments concerning voluntary euthanasia. It finds Nazi comparisons lack scholarly rigor, instead identifying legitimate fears behind such arguments.

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Area of Science:

  • Bioethics
  • Social Psychology
  • History

Background:

  • Beneficent killing, such as voluntary euthanasia, often triggers slippery-slope arguments invoking Nazi-era genocide.
  • These arguments raise concerns about potential societal slides into mass atrocities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the validity of slippery-slope arguments used against voluntary euthanasia.
  • To analyze the logical, historical, and psychological underpinnings of these arguments.
  • To identify the root causes of genocide and the legitimate fears driving slippery-slope concerns.

Main Methods:

  • Critical analysis of slippery-slope arguments, particularly those referencing Nazi Germany.
  • Examination of historical and psychological factors contributing to genocide.
  • Identification of specific, credible fears associated with proposals for voluntary euthanasia.

Main Results:

  • Typical slippery-slope arguments invoking Nazi-style genocide are found to be logically deficient.
  • These arguments often lack adequate grounding in social history and psychology.
  • Modest, legitimate fears underlying these arguments can be identified and addressed.

Conclusions:

  • The common invocation of Nazi genocide in debates on voluntary euthanasia is not well-supported.
  • Understanding the true causes of genocide is crucial for a scholarly evaluation of such arguments.
  • Legitimate concerns regarding the expansion of euthanasia can be distinguished from unsubstantiated slippery-slope claims.
Keywords:
Death and EuthanasiaDown the Slippery Slope: Arguing in Applied Ethics (Lamb, D.)

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