Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky (December 7, 1928) is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He holds a joint appointment as Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and laureate professor at the University of Arizona, and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Chomsky was born on December 7, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, William (Zev) Chomsky and Elsie Simonofsky, were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. His father was an eminent Hebrew scholar.

Chomsky attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied linguistics, mathematics, and philosophy. He completed his PhD in linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania in 1955.

Career[edit | edit source]

Chomsky joined the staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955 and in 1961 was appointed full professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (now the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy). From 1966 to 1976 he held the Ferrari P. Ward Professorship of Modern Languages and Linguistics. In 1976 he was appointed Institute Professor.

Chomsky's primary contribution to linguistics is the development of transformational grammar, a theory of grammar that he first proposed in the 1950s. This theory revolutionized the scientific study of language.

As a political activist, Chomsky has been highly critical of US foreign policy, capitalism, and mainstream news media. His works such as Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988) have had a significant influence on the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Chomsky married Carol Doris Schatz in 1949. They had three children: Aviva, Diane, and Harry. Carol died in 2008. In 2014, Chomsky married Valeria Wasserman.

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Official website

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