Read the full article which is published on Philosophy Bits (external link)Deserving is an extension of our more general concept of reciprocity, wherein we respond to benefits given to us with benefits, and we respond to harms given to us with harms. An intricate balance of giving and taking is supposed to ensure that everyone ultimately gets what they need.
A problem arises when someone is given something they need but do not seem to deserve. As there is nothing meriting a reward, it can feel like such a gift upsets the usual balance. To give unconditionally simply because there is a need might even feel absurd. We cannot see why we ought to do that, and we might complain when we see it done.
If someone can get something simply because they need it, then our norms seem to be at risk. For why would anyone participate in reciprocity if their needs are already being met? Why would our own merit deserve a reward when deserving itself has been undermined by unconditional gifts? These concerns are pressing and they can cause us not only to oppose unjustified rewards in general, but to avoid giving any such thing to the people around us.
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Foucault’s critique of power and knowledge shaped poststructuralism, yet its rejection of truth risks becoming its own orthodoxy. To remain...
