Noam Chomsky with Paul Mattick

Scholar Noam Chomsky and the Rail’s Field Notes Editor Paul Mattick discuss creative life in the context of our new social reality.

Noam Chomsky is considered the founder of modern linguistics and is one of the most cited scholars in modern history. Among his groundbreaking books are Syntactic Structures, Language and Mind, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, and The Minimalist Program, each of which has made distinct contributions to the development of the field. He has received numerous awards, including the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences, the Helmholtz Medal and the Ben Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science. Chomsky introduced the Chomsky hierarchy, generative grammar and the concept of a universal grammar, which underlies all human speech and is based in the innate structure of the mind/brain. Chomsky has not only transformed the field of linguistics, his work has influenced fields such as cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, computer science, mathematics, childhood education, and anthropology. Chomsky is also one of the most influential public intellectuals in the world. He has written more than 100 books, his most recent being Requiem for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth & Power. Chomsky joined the UA in fall 2017, coming from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked since 1955 as professor of linguistics, then professor of linguistics, emeritus.

Paul Mattick is the Brooklyn Rail’s Field Notes section editor. For a list of Paul’s contributions to the Rail, visit this page.

In the Rail:

• Understanding the Labyrinth: Noam Chomsky’s Science and Politics
• The Stakes Are High: An Interview with Noam Chomsky

The New Social Environment — Daily conversations with artists, writers, filmmakers, poets around the world where we discuss creative life in the context of our new social reality.