Our everyday conversations reveal the widespread assumption that positive and negative treatment of others can be justified on the grounds that 'they deserve it'. But what is it exactly to deserve something? In this book, Kevin Kinghorn explores how we came to have this concept and offers an explanation of why people feel so strongly that redress is needed when outcomes are undeserved. Kinghorn probes for that core concern which is common to the range of everyday desert claims people make, ultimately proposing an alternative model of desert which represents a fundamental challenge to the received wisdom on the structure of desert claims. In the end, he argues, our plea for deserved treatment ends up being linked to the universal human concern for a shared narrative, as we seek healthy relationships within a community.

‘This is a gem of a book. Precise conceptual analysis, philosophical argumentation of the highest calibre, and incisive engagement with all of the leading authors on desert. It will be a valuable resource for readers in moral and political philosophy studying desert, justice and a host of other related concepts.’

Kristján Kristjánsson - University of Birmingham