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Stenka25 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
The meaning of 'so long as'
the meaning of 'so long as'
The passage below is from a book, Habits of the Heart.
https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=XsUojihVZQcC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=%22so+long+as+everyone+had+an+equal+chance+of+getting+a%22&source=bl&ots=ouqINo_QmM&sig=gdGHhhcz889El3Xh7Ti_Vttvc5k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAWoVChMIoo6-lLmUxwIVyCqUCh2Dfwg2#v=onepage&q=%22so%20long%20as%20everyone%20had%20an%20equal%20chance%20of%20getting%20a%22&f=false
Equal opportunities are guaranteed by fair laws and political procedures - laws and procedures applied in the same way to everyone. But this way of thinking about justice does not in itself contain a vision of what the distribution of goods in a society would end up looking like if individuals had an equal chance to pursue their interests. Thus, there could be great disparities in the income given to people in different occupations in a just society so long as everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job. But if, as is now becoming painfully apparent, there are more qualified applicants than openings for the interesting job, is equal opportunity enough to assure justice?
The meaning of the underlined 'so long as' left me puzzled and to look up the freedictionary.com.
It seems to be aligned with the meaning #3, PROVIDED THAT, that is, IF.
(Am I right?)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/so+long+as
conj.
1. During the time that; while:
? We will stay so long as you need us.
2. Inasmuch as; since:
? So long as you're driving into town, why not give me a ride?
3. Provided that:
? I will give you the book so long as you return it.
But there is one further question I want to ask.
Actually I thought the meaning of 'so long as' was 'even if' in this context because there is the relation of contrast between 'there could be great disparities in the income' and 'everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job'.
What do you think?
Is there any chance of 'so long as' being the meaning of 'even if' rather than 'if'?
Regards.
The passage below is from a book, Habits of the Heart.
https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=XsUojihVZQcC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=%22so+long+as+everyone+had+an+equal+chance+of+getting+a%22&source=bl&ots=ouqINo_QmM&sig=gdGHhhcz889El3Xh7Ti_Vttvc5k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAWoVChMIoo6-lLmUxwIVyCqUCh2Dfwg2#v=onepage&q=%22so%20long%20as%20everyone%20had%20an%20equal%20chance%20of%20getting%20a%22&f=false
Equal opportunities are guaranteed by fair laws and political procedures - laws and procedures applied in the same way to everyone. But this way of thinking about justice does not in itself contain a vision of what the distribution of goods in a society would end up looking like if individuals had an equal chance to pursue their interests. Thus, there could be great disparities in the income given to people in different occupations in a just society so long as everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job. But if, as is now becoming painfully apparent, there are more qualified applicants than openings for the interesting job, is equal opportunity enough to assure justice?
The meaning of the underlined 'so long as' left me puzzled and to look up the freedictionary.com.
It seems to be aligned with the meaning #3, PROVIDED THAT, that is, IF.
(Am I right?)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/so+long+as
conj.
1. During the time that; while:
? We will stay so long as you need us.
2. Inasmuch as; since:
? So long as you're driving into town, why not give me a ride?
3. Provided that:
? I will give you the book so long as you return it.
But there is one further question I want to ask.
Actually I thought the meaning of 'so long as' was 'even if' in this context because there is the relation of contrast between 'there could be great disparities in the income' and 'everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job'.
What do you think?
Is there any chance of 'so long as' being the meaning of 'even if' rather than 'if'?
Regards.
Top answer
) Yes. Stenka25 Is there any chance of 'so long as' being the meaning of 'even if' rather than 'if'? No.
- ) Yes.
- Stenka25 Is there any chance of 'so long as' being the meaning of 'even if' rather than 'if'?
- No.
- "even if" would suggest that "everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job" should, if anything, make it less likely that "there could be great disparities in the income given to people in different occupations", which is the opposite of the intended meaning.
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3 Answers
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Stenka25It seems to be aligned with the meaning #3, PROVIDED THAT, that is, IF.(Am I right?)Yes.
Stenka25Is there any chance of 'so long as' being the meaning of 'even if' rather than 'if'?No. "even if" would suggest that "everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job" should, if anything, make it
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Thanks a lot for your reply, GPY.
But I am still in the dark. I cannot understand how, if 'everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job', 'there could be great disparities in the income given to people in different occupations.'
My common sense tells me that if people have equal procedural chance of getting a well-paid job, there could not be great differences in the i
But I am still in the dark. I cannot understand how, if 'everyone had an equal chance of getting a well-paid job', 'there could be great disparities in the income given to people in different occupations.'
My common sense tells me that if people have equal procedural chance of getting a well-paid job, there could not be great differences in the i
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It's saying that society could be just, even with income disparities, provided that everyone has an equal chance of getting a well-paid job. Having an equal chance doesn't mean that everyone will attain it, or attain it yet. Some people will miss out and get the poorly-paid job. On the other hand, if people don't even have an equal chance of getting the well-paid job, then a big disparity in salar
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