The argument that a given action will start a chain of events culminating in an undesirable outcome is known as which concept?

• A. Living Will
• B. Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
• C. Palliative Care
• D. Slippery Slope

Answer: (D)

A slippery slope argument describes claiming that taking a small initial action will start a chain of events that inevitably leads to a negative outcome. This term fits because the focus is on an imagined progression and a looming bad end, rather than on the immediate effects of the action. The other terms refer to medical directives and care approaches, not to a pattern of reasoning about future consequences: a living will outlines treatment preferences, a Do Not Resuscitate order concerns resuscitation, and palliative care focuses on comfort. In reasoning, the slippery slope is a familiar move that warns of drastic, undesirable results from a minor first step, even when the connection isn’t well supported by evidence.