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Can you outsmart the slippery slope fallacy? - Elizabeth Cox

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  • 1,496 Questions Answered
  • TEDEd Animation

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It’s 1954. Vietnamese nationalists are on the verge of securing an independent Vietnam under communist leader Ho Chi Minh. U.S. President Eisenhower claims that by virtue of the "falling domino principle," communist control of Vietnam would lead to the global spread of authoritarian communist regimes. Can you spot the problem with this argument? Elizabeth Cox explores the slippery slope fallacy.


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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Hector Herrera, Pazit Cahlon
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Animator Hector Herrera
  • Art Director Hector Herrera
  • Storyboard Artist Pazit Cahlon
  • Composer Massassauga
  • Sound Designer Nick Sewell
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Production Coordinator Abdallah Ewis
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma
Additional Resources for you to Explore
The slippery slope fallacy is only one of many logical fallacies. Watch episodes from TED-Ed’s Logical Fallacies series here to see if you can outsmart these common fallacies!

Visit this interactive site to learn more about different types of fallacies. Other resources that can help you to understand logical fallacies are this illustrated book and this article.  

Check out the links below for additional resources on fallacies:
 - Stephen’s guide of fallacies describes and gives detailed examples about fallacies.
- An illustrated book of bad arguments by Ali Almossawi is a delightful illustrated book about different kinds of fallacies.
- Logically Fallacious is an ultimate collection of fallacies. In this book, Bo Bennett helps to see what kind of fallacies occur in our arguments and helps us realize the flaws in our arguments. Visit this interactive site to learn more about different types of fallacies.
 - Bad Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Fallacies in Western Philosophy This book will help to see flawed arguments and fallacies and help you learn more about how to form better arguments.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Hector Herrera, Pazit Cahlon
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Animator Hector Herrera
  • Art Director Hector Herrera
  • Storyboard Artist Pazit Cahlon
  • Composer Massassauga
  • Sound Designer Nick Sewell
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Production Coordinator Abdallah Ewis
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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