Frivolous literary note

[doktor at primenet.com]

In the exchange between and Dennis and Joe, Joe wrote:
>>
>>I think that were we to begin attributing words in works of fiction to the
>>fictional characters who "said" them, well, things could get a bit more
>>confusing than they need to be.  Slippery slope and all...?

and Dennis replied

>Nah.  Slippery slope is where you say something like, "Look, the
>illegitimacy rate is rising.  Therefore, someday most births will be
>illegitimate."

Sorry Dennis, but Joe had it right.  The slippery slope is a stock argument
that says, if we deviate from a particular rule, even in some small way,
then to be consistent we must deviate in other ways, which eventually land
us in a position we don't want to be.  Think of walking on a mountain path:
take one step off it and you tumble down to the bottom.  The stock argument
you illustrate is an argument from extrapolation.

--Jimmy