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Chomsky for Beginners

Cogswell, David; Gordon, Paul
Publisher:  Writers and Readers Ltd.
Year Published:  1996  
Pages:  154pp   Price:  $15.95   ISBN:  0-86316-233-9
Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX6203

An introduction to the life and works of Noam Chomsky.

Abstract:  Chomsky for Beginners is an introduction to the life and works of Noam Chomsky. Cogswell suggests that despite the importance of Chomsky's ideas, they are not widely publicized precisely because of his harsh criticism of the media. Consequently, the book invites those yet unfamiliar with Chomsky to explore his ideas further. Written in a casual tone and extensively littered with cartoons, the book acquaints the reader to Chomsky's career up to the mid-90s.

First, Cogswell presents Chomsky's life through a short biography. He covers Chomsky's unconventional educational background, Jewish cultural influences and political activism. In addition, Cogswell relates Chomsky's ideas to several preceding thinkers, such as Wilhelm von Humboldt, Karl Marx and George Orwell.

Cogswell then introduces Chomsky's breakthrough work in linguistics. Chomsky proposes that humans are unique in that they share universal grammar. Contrary to behaviourists, who believe humans are blank slates, Chomsky believes human grammar must be innate as the subtle rules of grammar are too complex to be learnt through experience alone.

Finally, Cogswell devotes the rest of the book to Chomsky's work on the media and politics. Chomsky believes that although democracy requires freedom of press, media content is actually being determined by those who own the mass media. Here, Chomsky's propaganda model from Manufacturing Consent is explained. There are five news filters used by those in power to shape public opinion. Media propaganda hides the strength of corporate interests over the American government; both domestically in the form of corporate subsidies, and overseas through the support of dictatorships.

Cogswell concludes Chomsky's for Beginners with a call of personal responsibility for our actions. He stresses the importance of critically thinking about the assumptions presented to us by the media. An interview with Chomsky conducted by Cogswell in 1993 completes the book.

[Abstract by Jared Ong]

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