Miscellaneous News

Principle of Just Deserts

February 28 , 2026 17 hrs 0 min 18 0

The Principle of Just Deserts explains that people should receive rewards or punishments based on their actions.
A person who does good deeds deserves rewards, while someone who commits a crime deserves punishment.
Punishment should match the seriousness of the crime, based on fairness and proportionality.
The principle has three main parts: Deserver (who deserves), Deserved Modes of Treatment (what is deserved), and Bases of Desert (why it is deserved).
Deserved outcomes can be positive (rewards, respect) or negative (punishment, fines), depending on actions.
The principle is based on retributive justice, where people are morally responsible for their choices.
Philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Aristotle supported the idea that punishment or benefits should be fair and proportionate to merit.