[WikiEN-l] Straw man (was: Proposed: stop all deletes for 6 months, then reconsider)

Tue Nov 11 22:13:35 UTC 2003

>That's an inductive argument, not a slippery slope argument.
>
>All inductive arguments are fallacies, in the rigorous sense. Only
deductive
>arguments are rigorously valid.
>
>Although they are fallacies, that does not mean that inductive
arguments
>should be ignored. They simply need to be recognized as such--that
there is
>necessarily an element of uncertainty about the conclusion.

Then you're using the word "fallacy" in a different way than normal
humans use it. That might be a more correct way of using it, I don't
know, but just be aware that people will take it differently than you
mean it. Calling something a fallacy sounds like you're saying that it's
incorrect and should be completely discounted.

I don't think anybody believes that their "slippery slope" argument is
conclusive proof, we all know it's just one consideration in the
debate.

Alex