The Essential Chomsky

The Essential Chomsky – Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is one of the most influential intellectuals of the modern era. As a linguist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he revolutionized the study of language; as a political writer and activist, he has been one of the most prominent critics of American foreign policy, corporate power and the mass media for more than half a century. The Essential Chomsky, edited by Anthony Arnove, brings together selections from both sides of his work in a single volume.

The linguistic selections introduce Chomsky’s revolutionary ideas about language, including the theory that humans have an innate capacity for language, often described as a universal grammar, and his influential critique of behaviorist explanations of how language is learned. These pieces show how his work transformed linguistics and contributed to the development of cognitive science.

The political selections span decades and cover many of the issues Chomsky has written about, including the Vietnam War, the responsibility of intellectuals, American interventions in Latin America, East Timor, the Middle East, the role of the media in shaping public opinion, the propaganda model developed with Edward S. Herman, globalization, terrorism and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

Arranged chronologically, the selections allow readers to follow the development of Chomsky’s ideas, and Arnove’s introduction provides context.

The Essential Chomsky is an excellent introduction for students and general readers interested in linguistics, politics and media. Readers should note that Chomsky’s political views are strongly held and widely debated, and some linguistic selections are technical.