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Masters of Mankind: Essays and Lectures, 1969-2013
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Praise for Noam Chomsky's Hopes and Prospects:
"A revelation. . . . This is a book woven through with hope and awe at all the people who slip beyond imperial control and establish real democracy . . . a treasure-trove."—The Independent
In this collection of essays from 1969 to 2013, many in book form for the first time, Noam Chomsky examines the nature of state power, from t ...more
"A revelation. . . . This is a book woven through with hope and awe at all the people who slip beyond imperial control and establish real democracy . . . a treasure-trove."—The Independent
In this collection of essays from 1969 to 2013, many in book form for the first time, Noam Chomsky examines the nature of state power, from t ...more
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Paperback, 168 pages
Published
September 30th 2014
by Haymarket Books
(first published November 1st 2003)
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Start your review of Masters of Mankind: Essays and Lectures, 1969-2013
Apesar da tradução, que é sofrível, o génio lúcido de Chomsky vive nestes textos, todos eles despertos para a realidade dos factos, vendo através das opacidades criadas para conter as massas.
Pelas suas temáticas e distância temporal os primeiros textos terão menor interesse do que os da segunda metade.
Pelas suas temáticas e distância temporal os primeiros textos terão menor interesse do que os da segunda metade.
We all know how Noam Chomsky is called the "greatest living intellectual." What people might not be aware of is how that classification was originally used by the New York Times to more or less pan a book of his. As in, "How can the greatest living intellectual write such a bad book?" Something like that. I'm paraphrasing of course. But people ought to know that (and Chomsky certainly brings it to people's attention when he gives a lecture), but it just goes to show, why would someone who is in
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Os senhores do mundo são pessoas que nós não gostaríamos de ter como amigos. Mentem descaradamente, mandam matar mas ficam "chocados" quando outros os copiam, roubam, enriquecem desmesuradamente e, por fim, estão-se nas tintas para a mais que eminente catástrofe ambiental global...
This collection covers ground familiar to regular readers of Chomsky: the role of intellectuals in defending the status quo; the history and role of propaganda in the enlightened Western Democracies; the manufacturing of "consent"; the existential dangers of Real Existing Capitalism.
The 1996 essay "Consent Without Consent" was the most interesting of the lot, for me, because it was a reminder of just how far Bill Clinton and the New Democrats had already steered the Democratic Party away from an ...more
The 1996 essay "Consent Without Consent" was the most interesting of the lot, for me, because it was a reminder of just how far Bill Clinton and the New Democrats had already steered the Democratic Party away from an ...more
Brilliant. This is recommended reading for anyone who wants a greater insight into political machinery. Be prepared to get angry, though, if you thought the world was fair or if you thought just working hard would be enough to get by. Chomsky also provides a searing critique of the role so-called advanced civilizations play in global politics and economics.
As the subtitle says, Noam Chomsky's Masters of Mankind is a collection of essays and lectures. The book takes on intellectuals who support the status quo, government subsidies for corporations, exceptionalism for some countries with regard what makes war just, among other topics. It's at least a good book to get you interested in reading more about the topics in question and getting together with people who want to support public policies to make better changes for our societies.
Libertarian anarchist Chomsky gives his usual cogent, well-researched and -footnoted interpretations of world events, as determined by Western powers. The upshot: the U.S. routinely imposes rules on other countries and world leaders that it would never imagine imposing on itself--not that the rules are unfair or wrong but because power seeks to avoid responsibility for actions it finds deplorable when enacted by the less powerful.
“The definition of terrorism is virtually the same as the definition of the official policy of the US” – thus my favorite modern day hero sums up the insanity of expecting anything other than rogue state criminality from our present government. After all, the US is openly committed to terrorism according to its OWN definition of the term. Of course you are not supposed to realize or ponder such a thought, let alone tell a neighbor. But this is Noam’s latest book where again he exposes lies by us
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With a title like this on a essay collection one would think that there would be juice. Not so. This is nothing more than Chomsky jargon from beginning to end with no coherent content whatsoever. It is a very easy task to find a sentence or paragraph that means nothing at all. Is he counting on that his name adds some value to it? That the reader should think that this is profound somehow because Chomsky wrote it? The only way to know in what direction his opinion goes is what adjectives he puts
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I was curious to read something by this author, since i often hear his name mentioned, in my country, mostly by the anti-USA crowd. And now i can see why. This guy is basically saying: the USA has done everything wrong and is responsible for every bad thing in the world. No wonder also that his "essays" (this book being a compilation of 6-7 articles) sound like a déjà-vu (or actually a déjà-lu), since it seems like a blend of basic upper-class leftism (gauche caviar) and angry anti-usa propagand
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I'm a Chomsky-head, so it hurts to give this less than 4 stars, but I found the composition to be a little mixed and the content not to cohere as well as it should. Further, the intended audience seemed not to be well-defined. I found some of the content in the middle, focusing on academic intelligensia, to be too esoteric for a first-time reader, but not grounded enough in concrete examples for the familiar reader to learn anything new. I didn't disagree and found Chomsky's disapproval of the i
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This series of essays and lectures give us a glimpse of Noam’s unique perspective on the state of our union. Being a less informed or thoughtful person than I would like to be, at times I struggled to follow his arguments. He assumes that the reader knows something (my problem, not his). However, I believe I was able to benefit from his main points. He helps us to see behind the stories we tell ourselves (and are encouraged to tell ourselves) and to identify the specific weaknesses in our system
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All the essays of the book are connected by the same DNA: courage and energy to denounce the inequality in the world and find the causes that create it through clear language, hard facts and footnotes. Each essay develops a specific topic (the relation of power and knowledge , war crimes, climate change, capitalism, terrorism, and most important the possibilities of humanity) , that is related with previous ones, to build a detailed view of the power relationships in the world and the negative i
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This definitely takes effort to read - not because it is difficult, but because it makes you think. Remember to make note of the original date before delving into an essay or lecture. The content is often time-relevant, but it is interesting to see how Chomsky's words from the 70's relate to issues of today. This book is not for everyone, but if you enjoy a higher-level of intellectual thought or want to challenge yourself to read something of that caliber, then I encourage you to give it a look
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Feb 03, 2020
Francisca Martins
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
in-my-bookshelf
mesmo que a edição portuguesa peque por uma tradução miserável, o pensamento político de Chomsky é aqui compilado num conjunto de ensaios publicados entre 1969 e 2013 que se tornam ainda mais relevantes à luz dos acontecimentos internacionais mais recentes. permanece intemporal e urgente para desfazer alguns mitos e narrativas que se tornaram dominantes na política norte-americana e ocidental, incluindo reflexões sobre o capitalismo, a democracia, a guerra e a catástrofe ambiental.
J'ai aimé les derniers articles, les plus récents. Ils traitent pas mal d'environnement. Les premiers sont trop centrés sur les Etats-Unis et traitent de problèmes un peu lointains pour moi qui suit dans la vingtaine.
Noam Chomsky nous abreuve de références bibliographiques, il est aisé de creuser chaque sujet un peu plus profondément.
Noam Chomsky nous abreuve de références bibliographiques, il est aisé de creuser chaque sujet un peu plus profondément.
Gives a brief overview of Chomsky's thoughts, ideas and arguments. It is about power and how the political economy of world , particularly of USA , has been shaped over time to serve the powerful elite. How all the actions have been coated with selflessness and greater good while having a single agenda of furthering vested interests.
Slim in size but loaded with Chomsky's best points out forwarded in his vArious articles. Spanning over 6 decades, these articles showcase consistent disection of political world order and clearly articulated patterns prevelant in international politics , religion, society and imperialism. Took time to digest each article but well worth the read and re-reads
Jul 05, 2020
Helen B
added it
A worthwhile read mostly. Hard to rate a collection- some essays were 5/5 some 2s. Also with an author this prolific and this well known I feel that when you pick up this book you probably know what you’re getting into
The last chapter was probably the only one I found interesting (not that the others weren't good - they were just over my head). Overall good read.
Another fine selection of various essays and speeches from the United States most important intellectual.
What was particularly interesting was Chomsky's lectures early in the book.
What was particularly interesting was Chomsky's lectures early in the book.
Nov 20, 2018
North Idaho College Molstead Library Reads
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
non-fiction,
politics
Chomsky provides refreshing perspectives on global politics and the power dynamics that all citizens have to deal with.
Recommended by: Connor Haas, Library Clerk
Recommended by: Connor Haas, Library Clerk
A collection of lectures spanning almost forty years of world history seen through the lenses of political economy, global and governmental policies tied to developing a global economic foundation. Chomsky places focus on linguistics while keeping the examination rooted in in history. He offers "the other side of the coin" in the way of perspectives that inform the structure behind global corporations and their connection to polity in the west, specifically the united states, in decisions spanni
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An excellent little book that introduces Chomsky's nonpartisan political views from 1969 to 2013. Beside his fearless critique of those who misuse power, especially the USA, Israel, corporations, and intellectuals, including Niebuhr and Walzer, Chomsky writes without jargon and complexity so all can grasp the problems. The two key essays for me were "Consent without Consent," and "Simple Truths, Hard Problems," from 1996 and 2004. This or 9/11 would be good Chomsky books to own.
Deep articles, concerning on a global scales the issues we face and how the most powerful nation act. Not easy the reading but there sure is lots of learnings to be derived. Full of sarcasm and rage inside.
An excellent collection of Chomsky's writings spanning five-plus decades, recommended reading. His perspectives, especially on the role that the US plays as a global actor, ring true and are sadly absent from conventional media.
Li a versão portuguesa que me parece prejudicada por uma tradução no mínimo negligente.
Absolut lesenswert, Noam Chomsky entlarvt die Widersprüche der USA und zeigt auf, warum die Menschheit auf dem Holzweg ist.
Nothing bad to say about this, Chomsky is still way better at pointing fingers than anyone that came after, and it does it in a very inspirational fashion.
This book scared the crap out of me
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Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author, and lecturer. He is an Institute Professor and professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Chomsky is credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar, considered to be one of the most significant contributions to the field of linguistics made in the 20th century. H ...more
Chomsky is credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar, considered to be one of the most significant contributions to the field of linguistics made in the 20th century. H ...more
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“crime of war” is a criminal activity of which the defeated enemies, but not the victors, are guilty.”
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“In Plato’s Republic, Socrates expresses great fear about democracy because it is, in his mind, synonymous with freedom. The result is tyranny. But modern times have brought us a different understanding of democracy as an ideal. It is how to give the appearance of democracy yet deny it in practice, ensuring that democracy in its false form gives consent by the people to a small group, the oligarchs. This is accomplished through a combination of the people’s silence and a rigged system that changes a working democracy of public participation and deliberation to a charade.”
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