ABSTRACT
Justice requires that a person get what he or she deserves. This claim is widely accepted, although the exact nature of the relationship between justice and desert becomes controversial as these concepts are specified in greater detail. Something of a consensus has emerged in the literature concerning Rawls's view about the relationship between justice and desert, and most contemporary discussions of desert make at least a passing remark about his so-called "rejection of desert". This chapter presents the consensus view that concerns Rawls's rejection of desert. It discusses the ideal theory and why Rawls believes such an investigation has priority over non-ideal theory. The chapter concludes that contrary to Sandel, Rawls nowhere commits himself to the priority of the self to its abilities or talents, nor does he anywhere claim that a person is not entitled to her talents and abilities.
