Changes

=== Religious views ===

=== Religious views ===

Chomsky appears to be an [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and not an [[Atheism|atheist]]. He said "I try not to have faith".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Q4F5yf2D8 Noam Chomsky on Atheism, Religion, and the Scientific Method]</ref> Chomsky said about religion: "I am a child of the [[Enlightenment]]. I think irrational belief is a dangerous phenomenon, and I try to consciously avoid irrational belief.,, My view could be wrong, of course, but my position is that we should not succumb to irrational belief.<ref>[https://chomsky.info/1990____/ Remarks on Religion Noam Chomsky interviewed by various interviewers]</ref> See also: [[Atheism and irrationality]]

Chomsky appears to be an [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and not an [[Atheism|atheist]]. He said "I try not to have faith".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Q4F5yf2D8 Noam Chomsky on Atheism, Religion, and the Scientific Method]</ref> Chomsky said about religion: "I am a child of the [[Enlightenment]]. I think irrational belief is a dangerous phenomenon, and I try to consciously avoid irrational belief.  My view could be wrong, of course, but my position is that we should not succumb to irrational belief.<ref>[https://chomsky.info/1990____/ Remarks on Religion Noam Chomsky interviewed by various interviewers]</ref> See also: [[Atheism and irrationality]]

==Linguistic Works==

==Linguistic Works==

Chomsky's work is considered to be the spark of modern linguistic thought. His research deals with questions including the critical analysis of language and grammar, the role of biology in language and language acquisition, and the importance (or lack there of) of structural grammar and formal grammar in language function and development.

Chomsky's work is considered to be the spark of modern linguistic thought. His research deals with questions including the critical analysis of language and grammar, the role of biology in language and language acquisition, and the importance (or lack thereof) of structural grammar and formal grammar in language function and development.

Chomsky has argued that the primary role the linguist should play is to decipher a language's grammatical structure.  Chomsky has provided the field of linguistics path and policy in describing language as a concept and particular languages, as well as core functions of any particular language.  

Chomsky has argued that the primary role the linguist should play is to decipher a language's grammatical structure.  Chomsky has provided the field of linguistics with a path and policy in describing language as a concept and particular languages, as well as core functions of any particular language.  

===Generative Grammar===

===Generative Grammar===

Noam Chomsky advocates the view that the human mind has innate ability to generate grammatical sentences, thus, all utterances deemed sensible to the speaker are necessarily grammatical.  All humans, he argues, share a core of grammar that explodes into the thousands and thousands of distinct languages spoken by humans over time and place.  Generative grammar ultimately suggests that the brain is like an unlabeled map, and a child's role is to assign different "paths" with particular labels.

Noam Chomsky advocates the view that the human mind has an innate ability to generate grammatical sentences, thus, all utterances deemed sensible to the speaker are necessarily grammatical.  All humans, he argues, share a core of grammar that explodes into the thousands and thousands of distinct languages spoken by humans over time and place.  Generative grammar ultimately suggests that the brain is like an unlabeled map, and a child's role is to assign different "paths" with particular labels.

===Universal Grammar===

===Universal Grammar===

===Manufacture of Consent===

===Manufacture of Consent===

{{See also|Manufacturing Consent}}

{{See also|Manufacturing Consent}}

Chomsky is highly critical of [[Walter Lippmann]] and [[Edward Bernays]], both of whom wrote about the "Manufacture of Consent" (Bernays uses the phrase "the engineering of consent").<ref name="Manufacturing">{{cite book|last1=Chomsky|first1=Noam|last1=Herman|first1=Edward S.|title=Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media|date=2011|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-0375714498|pages=lix-lxii}}</ref>  Particularly Lippmann, whom Chomsky begins the preface criticizing.<ref name="Manufacturing" />

Chomsky is highly critical of [[Walter Lippmann]] and [[Edward Bernays]], both of whom wrote about the "Manufacture of Consent" (Bernays uses the phrase "the engineering of consent").<ref name="Manufacturing">{{cite book|last1=Chomsky|first1=Noam|last1=Herman|first1=Edward S.|title=Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media|date=2011|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-0375714498|pages=lix-lxii}}</ref>  Particularly Lippmann, whom Chomsky begins the preface by criticizing.<ref name="Manufacturing" />

===Criticism===

===Criticism===

===Challenges===

===Challenges===

In  2005 former [[missionary]] Daniel Everett published a controversial article titled "Cultural Constraints on Grammar and Cognition in Pirahã" which challeneged the notion that [[recursion]] is inherent in universal grammar. Since this oublication Everett has experienced academic and (stemming from this) political bullying and Chomsky himself labelled him a charlatan.

In  2005 former [[missionary]] Daniel Everett published a controversial article titled "Cultural Constraints on Grammar and Cognition in Pirahã" which challenged the notion that [[recursion]] is inherent in universal grammar. Since this publication, Everett has experienced academic and (stemming from this) political bullying and Chomsky himself labelled him a charlatan.

==Political Views==

==Political Views==

Chomsky has stated that his "personal visions are fairly traditional anarchist ones, with origins in The Enlightenment and classical liberalism" and he has praised libertarian socialism.

Chomsky has stated that his "personal visions are fairly traditional anarchist ones, with origins in The Enlightenment and classical liberalism" and has praised libertarian socialism.

His opponents accuse him of expressing admiration for governmental systems such as the Soviet Union, Chinese and Cambodian governments which are characterized by central control, xenophobia, and rejection of free expression, though he has openly expressed opposition to the Soviet Union and other regimes characterized by authoritarianism, arguing that they are not legitimate forms of socialism.<ref>http://chomsky.info/articles/1986----.htm</ref> He also counters that he is merely pointing out the West's own crimes and not condoning authoritarian governments that the West opposes. His stated justification for this is that criticism of other authoritarian governments will do nothing except give the United States ammunition against other countries, while being able to freely ignore their own crimes, whereas criticism of his own country may bring about what he considers to be positive reform. Chomsky identifies himself as a "libertarian socialist" who is opposed to both neoliberalism and authoritarianism.<ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19446</ref>

His opponents accuse him of expressing admiration for governmental systems such as the Soviet Union, Chinese and Cambodian governments which are characterized by central control, xenophobia, and rejection of free expression, though he has openly expressed opposition to the Soviet Union and other regimes characterized by authoritarianism, arguing that they are not legitimate forms of socialism.<ref>http://chomsky.info/articles/1986----.htm</ref> He also counters that he is merely pointing out the West's own crimes and not condoning authoritarian governments that the West opposes. His stated justification for this is that criticism of other authoritarian governments will do nothing except give the United States ammunition against other countries, while being able to freely ignore their own crimes, whereas criticism of his own country may bring about what he considers to be positive reform. Chomsky identifies himself as a "libertarian socialist" who is opposed to both neoliberalism and authoritarianism.<ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19446</ref>

=== Anti-Semitism ===

=== Anti-Semitism ===

Chomsky has been accused for [[anti-Semitism]].<ref>http://www.jbooks.com/interviews/index/IP_Dershowitz.htm</ref><ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=15381</ref>  In addition to his support for Hezbollah, He has stated that Jews are "the most privileged and influential part of the population", and that "Anti-Semitism is no longer a problem. It's raised, but it's raised because privileged people want to make sure they have total control, not just 98% control".<ref>http://www.variant.randomstate.org/16texts/Chomsky.html</ref>

Chomsky has been accused of [[anti-Semitism]].<ref>http://www.jbooks.com/interviews/index/IP_Dershowitz.htm</ref><ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=15381</ref>  In addition to his support for Hezbollah, He has stated that Jews are "the most privileged and influential part of the population", and that "Anti-Semitism is no longer a problem. It's raised, but it's raised because privileged people want to make sure they have total control, not just 98% control".<ref>http://www.variant.randomstate.org/16texts/Chomsky.html</ref>

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Since he was responding to an estimate of two million dead, his words would imply that the real toll was on the order of two thousand.  (Note:  Investigators have uncovered and examined the remains of 1,386,734 Cambodians found in mass graves near Khmer Rouge execution centers whose cause of death has been determined by the investigators to have been virtually exclusively execution by the former Khmer Rouge regime.<ref name="mekong.net">http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/deaths.htm</ref><ref>http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/toll.htm</ref><ref>http://welcome.to/dccam</ref>)</li>

Since he was responding to an estimate of two million dead, his words would imply that the real toll was on the order of two thousand.  (Note:  Investigators have uncovered and examined the remains of 1,386,734 Cambodians found in mass graves near Khmer Rouge execution centers whose cause of death has been determined by the investigators to have been virtually exclusively execution by the former Khmer Rouge regime.<ref name="mekong.net">http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/deaths.htm</ref><ref>http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/toll.htm</ref><ref>http://welcome.to/dccam</ref>)</li>

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Because no ''more'' than roughly ''half'' of those who died during the Khmer Rouge years were executed (the rest having died from other causes like state-created famine, the deliberate withholding of basic necessities by the state, the refusal by the state to allow foreign aid, the abolishing of medicine and hospitals by the state, systematic overwork and slave labor by the state, and normal mortality), the Documentation Center of Cambodia estimates that the former regime killed or otherwise caused the unnecessary deaths of, between 2 and 2.5 million Cambodians (with 2.5 to 3 million dying and half a million of these representing normal mortality for the period).<ref name="mekong.net"/>  

Because no ''more'' than roughly ''half'' of those who died during the Khmer Rouge years were executed (the rest having died from other causes like state-created famine, the deliberate withholding of basic necessities by the state, the refusal by the state to allow foreign aid, the abolishing of medicine and hospitals by the state, systematic overwork and slave labor by the state, and normal mortality), the Documentation Center of Cambodia estimates that the former regime killed or otherwise caused the unnecessary deaths of between 2 and 2.5 million Cambodians (with 2.5 to 3 million dying and half a million of these representing normal mortality for the period).<ref name="mekong.net"/>  

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A UN investigation reported 2-3 million dead, while UNICEF estimated 3 million dead.<ref>William Shawcross, ''The Quality of Mercy: Cambodia, Holocaust, and Modern Conscience'' (Touchstone, 1985), p115-6</ref>  Even the Khmer Rouge acknowledged that 2 million had been killed—though they attributed those deaths to a subsequent Vietnamese invasion.<ref>Khieu Samphan, Interview, ''Time'', March 10, 1980</ref></li>

A UN investigation reported 2-3 million dead, while UNICEF estimated 3 million dead.<ref>William Shawcross, ''The Quality of Mercy: Cambodia, Holocaust, and Modern Conscience'' (Touchstone, 1985), p115-6</ref>  Even the Khmer Rouge acknowledged that 2 million had been killed—though they attributed those deaths to a subsequent Vietnamese invasion.<ref>Khieu Samphan, Interview, ''Time'', March 10, 1980</ref></li>

He did so by citing a Ford administration prediction that the Khmer Rouge would likely kill more than one million people, and then falsely restating it to imply that more than one million Cambodians would starve to death if US aid were cut off.

He did so by citing a Ford administration prediction that the Khmer Rouge would likely kill more than one million people, and then falsely restating it to imply that more than one million Cambodians would starve to death if US aid were cut off.

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At the time of this essay, the Khmer Rouge had probably already killed more than one million people, but Chomsky was still claiming that "executions numbered at most in the thousands," that Khmer Rouge atrocities had been "inflated by a factor of 100" and that those the Khmer Rouge had allegedly refrained from killing were actually ''saved'' by the Khmer Rouge.

At the time of this essay, the Khmer Rouge had probably already killed more than one million people, but Chomsky was still claiming that "executions numbered at most in the thousands," Khmer Rouge atrocities had been "inflated by a factor of 100" and that those the Khmer Rouge had allegedly refrained from killing were actually ''saved'' by the Khmer Rouge.

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One million people had not died since aid was terminated, he said, therefore one million lives had been saved from starvation by the Khmer Rouge's ingenious economic policies.  Thus did Chomsky praise Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge for "saving" the lives of dead people ''who they had murdered''.  (Chomsky is also implying that the US cut off aid to Cambodia, when it actually had an unconditional offer to supply aid to it.  Aid was terminated ''by the Khmer Rouge'').</li>  

One million people had not died since aid was terminated, he said, therefore one million lives had been saved from starvation by the Khmer Rouge's ingenious economic policies.  Thus did Chomsky praise Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge for "saving" the lives of dead people ''who they had murdered''.  (Chomsky is also implying that the US cut off aid to Cambodia, when it actually had an unconditional offer to supply aid to it.  Aid was terminated ''by the Khmer Rouge'').</li>  

He signed a petition in support of Faurisson's denials of the Holocaust; although he claimed that he was only expressing solidarity with his right to free speech, the petition that Chomsky signed dignified Faurisson's writings by affirming his scholarly credentials (“a respected professor” of “document criticism”); describing his lies as “extensive historical research”; placing the term “Holocaust” in derisory quotation marks; and portraying his lies as "findings" (a very typical Chomsky propaganda technique).<ref>The text of the petition is reproduced in Werner Cohn, Partners in Hate: Noam Chomsky and the Holocaust Deniers (Avukah Press, 1995), pp53-4.</ref>

He signed a petition in support of Faurisson's denials of the Holocaust; although he claimed that he was only expressing solidarity with his right to free speech, the petition that Chomsky signed dignified Faurisson's writings by affirming his scholarly credentials (“a respected professor” of “document criticism”); describing his lies as “extensive historical research”; placing the term “Holocaust” in derisory quotation marks; and portraying his lies as "findings" (a very typical Chomsky propaganda technique).<ref>The text of the petition is reproduced in Werner Cohn, Partners in Hate: Noam Chomsky and the Holocaust Deniers (Avukah Press, 1995), pp53-4.</ref>

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More obscenely, Chomsky added that "I sign innumerable petitions of this nature, and do not recall ever having refused to sign one."<ref>Language and Politics (AK Press, 2004), p290.</ref>  At the time of this controversy, Chomsky had just finished publicly bragging about his outspoken refusual to sign petitions calling for human rights in Communist Vietnam—even as it massacred many hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese men, women, and children ''en masse'' and drowned at sea hundreds of thousands more.

More obscenely, Chomsky added that "I sign innumerable petitions of this nature, and do not recall ever having refused to sign one."<ref>Language and Politics (AK Press, 2004), p290.</ref>  At the time of this controversy, Chomsky had just finished publicly bragging about his outspoken refusal to sign petitions calling for human rights in Communist Vietnam—even as it massacred many hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese men, women, and children ''en masse'' and drowned at sea hundreds of thousands more.

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On that occasion, he had explained that “public protest is a political act, to be judged in terms of its likely human consequences,” which included the likelihood that the American media “would distort and exploit it for their propagandistic purposes.”<ref>Unpublished interview, March 28, 1977; ''Language and Politics'' (AK Press, 2004), p176.</ref></li>

On that occasion, he had explained that “public protest is a political act, to be judged in terms of its likely human consequences,” which included the likelihood that the American media “would distort and exploit it for their propagandistic purposes.”<ref>Unpublished interview, March 28, 1977; ''Language and Politics'' (AK Press, 2004), p176.</ref></li>