13 Quotes From The Great Intellectual Chomsky
Noam Chomsky was born in 1928 in Philadelphia and is a professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, as well as being the leading exponent of the 20th century in linguistics studies.
His contribution in the field of linguistics was fundamental for the development of information technology. His doctoral thesis focused on transformational analysis, which opened the doors for him to join the faculty of MIT.
To roughly understand what the enormous influence of this thinker was, we must reflect on his most revolutionary idea: that of the existence of a “universal grammar”, integrated into the genetic heritage of human beings.
According to Chomsky, from birth every human being has a model to which all the different languages of the world adapt. This idea caused his break with psychological currents such as functionalism and behaviorism, as far as the study of language is concerned.
Chomsky was also a prolific writer in many other areas and stood out for his political activism.
To bring you closer to the figure of this brilliant intellectual, today we offer you some of his most famous quotes and reflections, of great philosophical value.
13 key quotes from Noam Chomsky
“The basic idea running through modern history and modern liberalism is that the public should be marginalized. The general public is seen only as a mass of ignorant and excluded interfering, like a bewildered cattle. “
“We shouldn’t be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas.”
“In case after case, we see that the conformity is the easier path, one that leads to the privilege and prestige; dissidence has a personal cost. “
“What I have always considered the essence of anarchism is the belief that authority should be asked for proof of accountability, and that authority should be dismantled if it fails to prove that it can take that responsibility. “
“One of the reasons why capitalism seems to be successful is that it has always been able to count on a slave labor force, which corresponds to half the population. What women do – outside the world of work – doesn’t matter. “
“If we do not develop a constant and lively democratic culture, capable of empowering candidates, they will not do what we voted them for. Putting a ballot in the urn and then going home won’t change that. “
“ The goal of education is to show people how to learn for themselves. The other meaning of education is indoctrination. “
“The Internet grants us instant access to all sorts of ideas, opinions, perspectives, information. Did this broaden our horizons or narrow them? I believe both. For someone it has expanded them. If you know what you are looking for and know how to proceed sensibly, you can broaden your perspective, but if you approach the internet in an uninformed way, the effect can be the opposite. “
” Freedom without opportunity is a cursed gift, and refusing to give that opportunity is a criminal act. “
“The picture of the world that is presented to people does not even correspond to reality in the slightest, because the truth of everything remains buried under a mass of lies.”
” If we don’t believe in the freedom of expression of the people we despise, we don’t believe it at all. “
“Education must inspire students to discover new things for themselves, to question when they disagree, to seek alternatives if they believe there are better ones, to review the great progress of the past and learn from it because they are interested in doing so. “
“People can no longer be controlled by force and, therefore, in order not to make them understand that they are living in a condition of alienation, oppression, subordination, it is necessary to change their conscience. “
