Which term refers to claiming that doing one thing necessarily leads to another thing much farther along in a possible chain reaction?

The term that refers to claiming that doing one thing necessarily leads to another thing much farther along in a possible chain reaction is "slippery slope." This fallacy suggests that a small action will trigger a series of events that culminate in a significant and often negative outcome, without providing evidence for that chain of events.

In argumentative writing or reasoning, identifying a slippery slope argument is important because it can often oversimplify complex issues by suggesting that if we allow one action to occur, we are bound to face exaggerated and unsubstantiated consequences. For example, saying that allowing students to redo an exam will eventually lead to them refusing to take exams at all illustrates this concept, as it implies a dramatic escalation without clear rationale.

The other terms provided serve different functions: fallacies refer to a wide range of errors in reasoning; syllogism is a form of logical reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two premises; and rhetoric pertains to the art of persuasive speaking or writing. Each of these concepts is distinct from the idea of a slippery slope, which specifically addresses the flawed reasoning of assuming a chain reaction will result from a singular cause.