What fallacy suggests that if one event occurs, it will inevitably lead to a series of other harmful events?

The fallacy that suggests if one event occurs, it will inevitably lead to a series of other harmful events is known as a slippery slope argument. This type of reasoning is characterized by a chain reaction of events where the initial act is portrayed as leading to catastrophic consequences without sufficient evidence to support such an assertion.

In a slippery slope argument, the speaker typically posits that a particular action will trigger a domino effect, culminating in an extreme and undesirable outcome. This can create a fear-based scenario where the consequences are exaggerated or unsubstantiated. For example, arguing that legalizing a minor drug will inevitably lead to the legalization of all drugs and thus result in societal collapse exemplifies this fallacy.

In contrast, the other fallacies mentioned do not fit this particular reasoning pattern. The straw man fallacy involves misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack. Anecdotal evidence relies on personal stories or isolated examples instead of solid data, while a non sequitur refers to statements whose conclusions do not logically follow from their premises. Each of these fallacies highlights different ways to distort or undermine logical reasoning, but none specifically illustrate the chain reaction characteristic of a slippery slope.