Noam Chomsky's contributions to linguistics and political thought

Noam Chomsky

States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions. (Wisdom Quotes: Noam Chomsky)

Noam Chomsky's contribution to linguistics and philosophy, as well as contemporary theoretical and political thought, is extensive. He received numerous awards and accolades, specifically for his work in linguistics. Chomsky was born in Philadelphia in 1928. As the son of Russian immigrants he was influenced by their belief in pacifism. His early education took place at a progressive school as well as at Philadelphia Central High school. He later attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied mathematics, philosophy and linguistics. He completed his PhD in Linguistics in 1955 and was appointed Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976.

In his doctoral thesis he began to develop some of his linguistic ideas. These ideas were elaborated in the book Syntactic Structure, published in 1957. This was one of his best known works in linguistics. Not only is he regarded by any as the founder of modern linguistics, but he is also acknowledged as the main proponent of the field of transformational-generative grammar. This area is strongly related to logic and philosophy. Chomsky has also become well-known as a social critic and theorist and for his many controversial views on power structures, democracy and the analyses of hegemony, particularly in the United States. "... his pioneering linguistic works include Topics in the Theory of Generative Grammar (1966) and Knowledge of Language: its nature, origins and use (1986), while political books range from American Power and the New Mandarins (1969) to Terrorizing the Neighbourhood: American Foreign Policy in the post-cold war era (1991)." (Cowley, J.)

An essential aspect that characterizes his early work, which also sheds light on his inquiring and rigorous intellect, was his opposition to behaviourist theory. "His works in generative linguistics contributed significantly to the decline of behaviorism and led to the advancement of the cognitive sciences." (Wikipedia: Noam Chompsky.)

As can be seen from the above brief overview his contribution to the intellectual world and to linguistics is extensive and complex. However, there are a number of central threads and themes that run through all of his work. One of these themes is scientific realism and an uncompromising attitude to creative and incisive thinking. Another important aspect which reflects on the ethical dimension is the emphasis he places throughout his work on the primacy and meaning of human nature.

2. Influences

His early years as an undergraduate student shed light on his later thinking and the trajectory of his linguistics and philosophy. Chomsky can be termed a creative realist; and as an undergraduate has was disappointed by the prevalence of institutional structures at university. This need for intellectual and personal freedom from restriction led him to even consider leaving the University and embarking on a more practical a life of social involvement.

Chomsky soon began to reflect on the possibility of dropping out of college, "to go to Palestine, perhaps to a kibbutz, to try to become involved in efforts at Arab-Jewish cooperation within a socialist framework'" (Chomsky Reader 7). The decision was a crucial one at this stage in his life, and it also has a retrospective significance, given the lifelong difficulties he has had with the Zionist movement. (Barsky R) Noam Chompsky: A life of Disssent)

These leanings towards social and political involvement were indicative of his sometimes controversial views on social issues that would manifest themselves later in his life. In his regard he showed an early inclination to "sympathize with cooperative libertarian impulses rather than Stalinist or Trotskyite visions which were popular among contemporary Zionist youth groups..." (ibid)

Another important influence was the personality and work of Zellig Harris. Chomsky met Harris in 1947. Harris was "a charismatic professor who shared many of his interests and who would have a profound influence upon his life." (ibid) Largely as a result of this meeting Chompsky decided to remain at University.

As Chompsky himself states, Harris was a central influence in his decision to study linguistics.

A when Zellig Harris gave me the proofs of his Methods in Structural Linguistics to read I found it very intriguing and, after some stimulating discussions with Harris, decided to major in linguistics as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. (ibid)

But it was not only Harris' linguistics that first attracted Chomsky: he was tantalized by his professor's politics and lively intellectual attitude and discourse. These two aspects of his early life - his social and scientific awareness - combined with his realism and objectivity in linguistics were two important traits that were to characterize all his work and philosophy.

4. Ethics and society

As has been touched on in the above discussion, the idea of ethics and social analyses is never far from the heart of Chomsky's thought. His views have often attacked sensitive areas such as the actual workings of democracy. He has also written and lectured extensively on U.S. foreign policy, particularly on the Vietnam War and U.S. support for brutal dictatorships in Latin America. His argument -- shocking to readers who encounter his writings for the first time -- is that U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War, supposedly based on opposing the Soviet Union and promoting democracy, has in reality been aimed primarily at serving the economic interests of the American elite. (Wvong, R.)

Chomsky's understanding of the innate qualities of human nature in language acquisition is reflected in his assessment of social and political events in the world. Chomsky has for many years been a controversial figure due to his views on power structures and hegemony in the world.

As Foucault... power is the key for social change. Once the subordinate group has gained power, it can reconstruct society as it wishes, as there are no inherent constraints to what we might become. This paints a picture that is very similar to the one for which Chomsky attacks behaviourism. It suggests that there is nothing inherent to the human condition that could lead us to rule out on ethical grounds wide-scale and oppressive social engineering. What objection could there be to such a project if people are indeed the open texts on which progress and their eventual emancipation could be written? (ibid)

As the above quotation points out, Chomsky has a belief and understanding of the innate potential within human language and within human nature in general. It is my opinion that his view of human nature is reflected in his theories on language and cannot be separated from his views on society and politics. While it is true that there have been changes and variations in his theories over the years, he has in fact stated in his writing that no theoretical position is permanent and inflexible. What is evident however is that the underlying scientific realism and rigor that made him famous forms part of a philosophy of human nature which stresses its creative potential.