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The real risk of cbdcs to the financial system may be that they eventually precipitate a new kind of run: on the idea that banks need to exist "at all".

What does 'at all' refer to here? Does it give the sentence a negative meaning?

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    At all is a Negative Polarity Item. It isn't negative itself, but its use shows that there is a negative meaning in the sentence. In this case, it's the idea of "a run", in the sense of a "run on a bank", meaning general loss of credibility for deposits. This is metaphorized into doubt about whether banks need to exist. At all in such a context is merely a strengthening of the negation implied by "a run on". A very confusing text, but then it's finance, and that's sposta be confusing because you're placing a bet. Dec 6, 2020 at 15:53

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I think the author of the text meant to write

The real risk of cbdcs to the financial system may be that they eventually precipitate a new kind of run: promoting the doubt/question whether banks need to exist "at all".

Yes, at all can be used with an affirmative verb in direct and indirect questions:

Do you know her at all?

I wonder if/whether she read my essay at all.

Hope this helps.

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  • I wonder exact meaning or synonym of "at all" actually.
    – hsncnztrk
    Dec 6, 2020 at 14:25
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    Do you know her at all? = Do you know her even one tiny bit? I wonder if/whether she read my essay at all.= I wonder whether she read even one line of it/even once. Now in your example I think it means 'the question whether banks should even exist.'
    – fev
    Dec 6, 2020 at 14:26
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    At all is a 'minimum'. It requires a negative trigger like a question or an overt negative or an if clause, and when it occurs it refers to the least bit of whatever is at issue, including activities: if he comes at all, ... means "I doubt that he'll come, but in the unlikely event that he does come, ..." Dec 6, 2020 at 16:08

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