Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, and political activist. He is regarded as the founder of the modern science of the linguistics and one of the most influential public intellectuals of the world.

Early Life and Education

Chomsky was born in 1928 in Philadelphia. His father was a Hebrew scholar and the family was active in the Jewish intellectual life.

He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and took his doctorate in 1955. He was influenced by the linguist Zellig Harris.

He joined the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955 and taught there for more than fifty years.

The Linguistic Theory

Chomsky published his first book, Syntactic Structures, in 1957. The book introduced the theory of the transformational grammar.

He argued that the human language is based on the innate universal grammar. The theory challenged the behaviourist account of the language.

He proposed the concept of the deep structure and the surface structure. The theory transformed the study of the linguistics.

He developed the minimalist programme in his later work. The programme seeks the simplest account of the language faculty.

The Political Activism

Chomsky became a leading critic of the American foreign policy during the Vietnam War. He wrote the essay The Responsibility of Intellectuals in 1967.

He has written extensively on the media and the propaganda. The book Manufacturing Consent, written with Edward Herman, analyses the media as the instrument of the power.

He has criticised the American intervention in the Central America and the Middle East. He has argued for the anarcho-syndicalist ideas.

He has been a critic of the corporate power and the inequality. He has supported the movements for the social justice.

The Legacy

Chomsky is one of the most cited scholars in the history. His work has transformed the study of the linguistics and the cognitive science.

He has received the honours from many universities and the institutions. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He has been a public intellectual for more than half a century. He continues to write and to speak on the politics and the language.

He is regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the modern age. His influence extends across the many fields of the study.

The Linguistic Revolution

Chomsky published Syntactic Structures in 1957. The book introduced the theory of the transformational grammar.

He argued that the human language is based on the innate universal grammar. The theory challenged the behaviourist account of the language.

He proposed the concept of the deep structure and the surface structure. The theory transformed the study of the linguistics.

The Political Writings

Chomsky wrote the essay The Responsibility of Intellectuals in 1967. He became a leading critic of the American foreign policy.

He wrote Manufacturing Consent with Edward Herman. The book analyses the media as the instrument of the power.

He has criticised the American intervention in the Central America and the Middle East. He has argued for the anarcho-syndicalist ideas.

The Academic Career

Chomsky joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955. He taught there for more than fifty years.

He made the important contributions to the linguistics and the cognitive science. He developed the minimalist programme in his later work.

He has received the honours from many universities. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The Legacy and the Memory

Chomsky is one of the most cited scholars in the history. His work has transformed the study of the linguistics.

He has been a public intellectual for more than half a century. He continues to write and to speak on the politics.

He is regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the modern age. His influence extends across the many fields.

The Linguistics and the Politics

Chomsky transformed the study of the linguistics. He argued that the human language is based on the innate universal grammar.

He became a leading critic of the American foreign policy. He wrote the essay The Responsibility of Intellectuals in 1967.

He has written extensively on the media and the propaganda. He has argued for the anarcho-syndicalist ideas.

The Personal Life

Chomsky married Carol Schatz in 1949 and the marriage lasted until her death in 2008. He later married Valeria Wasserman.

He has three children and the several grandchildren. He was active in the political movements throughout his life.

He continues to write and to speak on the politics and the language. He is one of the most important thinkers of the modern age.

See also

• Linguistics
• Universal grammar
• Manufacturing consent
• Political activism