Defining Second-Order Desert

Year, pages: 2024, 217 - 231

Philosophers who work on desert-adjustment within axiology often articulate the concept of desert as follows: x deserves y on the basis of z. This formulation allows for a focused examination that encompasses deservers, deservings, and desert bases. I call this first-order desert. This paper posits that axiology grounded solely in first-order desert fails to adequately capture our nuanced intuitions con-cerning desert. I contend that to construct an axiology that more effectively aligns with our desert-sensitive intuitions, we must incorporate considerations of second-order desert. Second-order desert is defined as follows: x deserves to live a life in which x deserves y on the basis of z. Initially, I provide a definition of first-order desert, followed by an elucidation of second-order desert. Subsequently, I explore various counter-arguments against my proposition. I defend my proposal against potential counter-arguments, demonstrating that a desert-adjusted axiological theory will be significantly better- off by incorporating second-order desert considerations.

Nayır, B. 2024. Defining Second-Order Desert. In Organon F, vol. 31, no.3, pp. 217-231. 1335-0668. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2024.31302

Nayır, B. (2024). Defining Second-Order Desert. Organon F, 31(3), 217-231. 1335-0668. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2024.31302

Publisher: Filozofický ústav SAV, Filosofický ústav AVČR

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