Chomsky: Thoughts and Ideals

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Features: Noam Chomsky is one of the leading intellectual figures of modern times. He has had a major influence on linguistics, psychology, and philosophy, and a significant effect on a range of other disciplines from anthropology to mathematics, education to literary criticism. In this rigorous yet accessible account of Chomsky's work and influence, Neil Smith analyzes Chomsky's key contributions to the study of language and the study of mind. He gives a detailed and partly historical exposition of Chomsky's linguistic theorizing, and examines the ideas for which he is best known. Smith discusses the psychological and philosophical implications of Chomsky's work, and argues that he has fundamentally changed the way we think of ourselves, gaining a position in the history of ideas on a par with that of Darwin and Descartes. Finally, he examines Chomsky's political ideas and how these fit intellectually with his scholarly work. Smith argues that, despite Chomsky's own disavowal of any very close connection, there are fundamental ideas of rationality, creativity, and modularity that draw together the disparate strands of his vast output. Throughout, Smith explores the controversy surrounding Chomsky's work, and explains why he has been both adulated and vilified. This much-needed book will be welcomed by a wide range of readers: students and researchers in linguistics, philosophy, psychology, cognitive science, and politics, and anyone with an interest in the impact of Chomsky's work.