What does "deserve" mean?

[Gogf]

Lots of people in OT like to talk about people or countries "deserving" something. In your mind, what does this really mean? Do you believe in the idea of someone or something deserving a certain outcome from a situation?

 

[nivi]

You do good things, good things (should) happen to you, you do bad things, bad things (should) happen to you.

 

[Perfection]

edit: oh poop

 

[Perfection]

It means "I want it to happen".

I dserve some goddamned chocolate cake. It's my friggin' birthday, so I should get some, right?

 

[scy12]

Usually it is a way to state what "you wish to happen" , in an authoritative matter that assumes that what you wish to happen , is what should happen due to an absolute truth others are ignoring.

Though i do think , Human race deserves , to improve it's own situation.

 

[nivi]

edit: oh poop

I the second of a double post, fear my internet-fu!

 

[Narz]

It means someone is worthy of something due to either who they are (basic human/animal rights) or because of something they've done (he planted corn on abandoned land and he deserves to keep what he took the effort to grow).

 

[Cutlass]

If a people are treated badly enough in the past, they deserve some compensation for it.

 

[Narz]

If a people are treated badly enough in the past, they deserve some compensation for it.

What if the abuser is dead? Who compensates then?

 

[LightFang]

To deserve something is to have a claim to something.

 

[Narz]

To deserve something is to have a claim to something.

To have a justified claim, I'd say.

 

[.Shane.]

"Deserves got nothing to do with it."

 

[Fifty]

To have a justified claim, I'd say.

I pretty much agree with this.

Although the word "claim" sorta implies that its voluntary, whereas I think that there can certainly be involuntary deserts, such as "he deserves to be punished".

John Rawls would probably say:

person y in world w deserves p if and only if y's getting p would make w more just.


He'd say something like this because justice and deserts seem closely related, as it seems like a maximally just would would be one in which everyone got their deserts.

 

[Brighteye]

OED:
'To have acquired, and thus to have, a rightful claim to; to be entitled to, in return for services or meritorious actions, or sometimes for ill deeds and qualities; to be worthy to have. (Now the ordinary sense...'

 

[Perfection]

in which everyone got their deserts.

right, so where's my cake?

 

[C~G]

"Deserves got nothing to do with it."

Exactly.

For me in both ways. Not in good neither in bad.

 

[Cutlass]

What if the abuser is dead? Who compensates then?

That's very dependent on the situation. No answer fits all.

 

[scy12]

What if the abuser is dead? Who compensates then?

If none believes to be there , a conflict of interests , i don't think they would think that they deserve compensation anyway.

And there is the issue of someone adopting the glory of the "dead" abuser and not admitting the crimes of that "dead" abuser.

 

[MobBoss]

Shane beat me to the reply I wanted to give.

However.

I would say 'deserve' is kind of an extension of Newtons Third Law: "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction' but instead of referring to motion as Newtons law does, it refers to expectation. For example: if some guy comes around acting like an ass to everyone, and then someone gets fed up and pops him in the face, there would undoubtedly be some who would claim he 'deserved' it. Ergo, someone 'deserving' of something is simply in essence fullfilling Newtons Third Law - you get an expected reaction for some type of action you perform. Might be good....might be bad.

 

[scy12]

I would say 'deserve' is kind of an extension of Newtons Third Law: "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction' but instead of referring to motion as Newtons law does, it refers to expectation. For example: if some guy comes around acting like an ass to everyone, and then someone gets fed up and pops him in the face, there would undoubtedly be some who would claim he 'deserved' it. Ergo, someone 'deserving' of something is simply in essence fullfilling Newtons Third Law - you get a reaction for some type of action you perform. Might be good....might be bad.

So ... Based on that logic , if someone is not acting like an ass to everyone and for that action , the preferred reaction of someone else is to shoot him for it ..... Then had he deserved it ?