The Paradox of Desert
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21497318 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David Benatar (0000-0003-3115-9172, Philosophy Department University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 671-681 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Applied Philosophy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0264-3758 • E-ISSN: 1468-5930 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/japp.12721 |
| OpenAlex | W4392147881 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
This article describes a paradoxical phenomenon arising from the fact that those who act rightly often pay a price for doing so. The paradox is that the very thing – acting rightly – that incurs the cost also makes the cost (especially) undeserved. In explicating the paradox, I distinguish between two kinds of cost (internal and external), two kinds of unfairness (intrinsic and comparative), and two manifestations of the paradox (prospective and retrospective). I suggest that the problem generated by the paradox of desert arises and becomes steadily more pronounced as we regress through three kinds of cases. I then consider and reject an attempt to dissolve the paradox, and I discuss the relevance of the paradox for questions about the extent of duty. Finally, I consider a concern about drawing attention to the paradox of desert
Duty · Economics · Epistemology · Phenomenon · Political science · Positive economics · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Free Will and Agency · Law · Philosophy · War, Ethics, and Justification
| Highly cited | No |
|---|