Chomsky for Beginners

Writers & Readers Documentary Comic Book #63

by David Cogswell, Paul Gordon (Illustrator)

Noam Chomsky, "arguably the most important intellectual alive" (The New York Times), first became famous through his work in linguistics. Chomsky's second career, as a political/analyst/critic/activist is harder to categorize. Chomsky for Beginners presents a concise yet comprehensive introduction to this political gadfly and "media critic," whose ideas are in deadly opposition to the kow-towing mass media.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Philosophy, Biography, History, Language, Linguistics

153 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to this very influential thinker. I will often try to read a book in this series before I read the actual work of the person; it helps to get some of the basic principles down before you tackle a hard book to read. This book gives you a very nice overview of the philosophy of Noam Chomsky.

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic introduction to the teachings of Chomsky
19 October 2012

I have this DVD about Noam Chomsky in which he laughs whenever everybody quotes the New York Times as saying that he is 'arguably the most important intellectual alive' and true to fashion he then goes to point out the context in which that statement was made. This is the defining character of Noam Chomsky in that he is an expert on language and on the use of language. I can't actually remember what the context of this article was, but the one thing that Chomsky is recognised for is his contribution to the science of linguistics in creating a formula in which all languages can be connected.

However, many of us on the left, while acknowledging this aspect of Chomsky, tend to look beyond that to his contributions to the realm of political science. He is, in his own words, an 'Anarco-Syndicalist' which is basically an anarchist, but with some form of government where decisions can be made for the benefit of the people. He is also a strong critic of US foreign policy, and most of his works tend to focus on foreign policy decisions, particularly in relation to the US-Israel alliance, as well as mass media and its role in controlling the popular debate.

Language is Chomsky's speciality, and while many of us simply see language as a means to communicate, Chomsky sees is as a means of control and obfuscation. This is not new since Orwell went into details in 1984 regarding the use of 'double-speak', namely a way of using language to portray an idea that is in fact completely the opposite. It is also a way of numbing the mind and turning the population into sheep that can be pacified so that the ruling elite may attempt to push their agenda with our consent.

In reality, the ruling elite hate democracy, just in the same way that corporate CEOs hate having to rock up to an annual general meeting of retail shareholders every year. While the AGM is pretty much something that is a part of a process, democracy means that the people get to chose their leaders and if a leader does not meet their approval, they can remove them (or her). They have got around this problem by creating a party that openly supports their position, and a party that appears to oppose it, but in reality supports it. They are able to create a base from certain segments of society by either using what are termed 'political hot potatoes' (such as abortion and gay marriage), and by constantly bringing these issues into the light they are able to distract people from what they are really doing.

Another method that they use is the demonisation of certain philosophies, such as anarchism and socialism. Anarchism is the classic example in that many of us today consider anarchy as the complete breakdown in social order. Based on the Greek root word that is partially true. However, if we consider the word closely 'an-archos' actually means 'no ruler' (archos means ruler or leader, and the prefix a, or an, makes it an opposite). Thus, by claiming to be an anarcho-syndicalist, Chomsky is by no means claiming that he is seeking the breakdown in social order (in the same way that the anarchists of 19th century Russia were not seeking the breakdown of social order) but rather he is looking for a system where the rule is actually by the people as opposed to by the elite.

Another word that has been thrown into the public mind is the concept of revolution. Many of us, when we think of revolution we think of blood on the streets and a complete breakdown of order which then brings about a new system. However, this is not always the case as some will argue that revolution brings about a complete change which, in some cases, returns us to the position we were in before (as per Russia and France), rather a process which brings about a significant change. Many of us view a revolution as a good thing because it means that we throw out the old and bring in the new (albeit violently), however the ruling elite once again obfuscates that fact. For instance, the 'education revolution' that the Australian Labour Party enacted was not necessarily something that was new, but rather forced education backwards by privatising schools and by setting teachers against each other through competitiveness. Further, by introducing standardised testing, upon which schools and teachers would receive performance pay based on the results, the whole concept of education as a means of encouraging people to think is undermined and instead the system creates a world of Orwellian drones.

As for this book, this is a very good introduction to the philosophy and writings of Noam Chomsky. As I have mentioned previously, Chomsky does tend to continue to rehash many of his previous points in the books that he writes. It is best to read only a few of Chomsky's books, maybe some of the older, and some of the newer, ones otherwise you end up going over a lot old ground. I have commented on the Chomsky books that I have read, and maybe if you are interesting in exploring his thoughts further, you can look at them.

[G B]

There are many Noam Chomsky books that could qualify for my "must read" list, but I've chosen this book rather than Chomsky's books because it is far more accessible. If you can't make it through this book, it's unlikely you'll finish a book actually written by Chomsky.

This book covers Chomsky's two areas of focus: linguistics and politics. Skip the linguistics section if you'd like, but you must read the politics section. If you're an adult living in post-9/11 America, you have a duty to be informed about how our democracy works, at least to some degree. This book summarizes the points which are elaborated on in Chomsky's other books, such as:

"Politics is not about elections or democracy. Politics is an interaction among groups of investors who compete for control of the state."

Page 135 in particular resonated with me:

"To ask serious questions about the nature and behavior of one's own society is often difficult and unpleasant...To understand the truth about these matters is to be led to action that may not be easy to undertake and that may even carry a significant personal cost."

My hope is that more and more people (including myself) will be led to action by the writings of such people as Chomsky. At a minimum, I hope that such books will educate people so that they can be better-informed citizens and therefore make more responsible decisions.

One of my favorite quotes comes in an interview at the very end of the book. The interviewer asks Chomsky about Thomas Jefferson, who sent soldiers to wipe out entire villages of Cherokees. The interviewer asks: "Is there no one that can be used as a positive example?" Chomsky replies: "We shouldn't be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas." I wish more voters approached elections the same way.

[Antariksa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a linguistics student, reading about Chomsky reminds me that even a practitioner on the humanities could make a significant contribution on how we run our world. Chomsky's linguistics (which has thankfully become a standard on how we are doing the discipline) focuses less on describing language phenomena but on explaining things related on how humans are able to use language. He seeks a scientific pursuit of understanding the human language, and so his thoughts on the subject are clear-cut, unlike many philosophers and literary theorists with their obscure jargon and confusing reasoning. His theory on universal grammar sheds light that we humans are endowed with a special ability to create things. Our behaviors are not determined only by our environment. We have the creative ability to do things. And so, in facing our world where injustices prevail and ordinary people are driven out from contributing to their community, we have the means within ourselves to initiate change. The government may deceive us and mislead us, but we can learn about their tricks.

I cannot say whether the book correctly introduces or misrepresents Chomsky's ideas since I have not read a single book written by him. The way it delivers his massage, though, is engaging and thought-provoking. Language and literature students should try to learn from his example.

[CM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this from the linguistics shelf but it's actually more on Chomsky, the Political Commentator, than on Chomsky, the Linguist. Divided into 3 parts, this small little book introduces reader to Chomsky's ideas (and supporting evidence) on:
linguistics(universal grammar and his critque on Skinner's behaviorist take on humanity and science),
media(that media is a propaganda machine against the interest of the majority) ,and
politics (that free trade,human rights and democracy are slogans for America to retain her hegemony over the world).

All profound (and,by now, familiar) ideas and I could easily give this one 3 stars but the format here, that the texts are punctuated by comic panels that seldom add anything to the text ,interpretation, and the reading experience, somehow put me off. Unlike Icon Book's Graphic Guide series where the illustrations bring humour and interact with the text with all sorts of imaginative visuals(eg: a couple comes out of the pipe of a smoking Freud, a Greek statue standing in a modern supermarket), here 90% of the non-textual elements are Chomsky's face in drawing...

Time to get another work on his linguistics.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series of books. They give great overviews of a topic which has a two fold purpose. It lets me know if I want to read about it in more detail, plus educates me about a topic I had no baseline in. Chomsky has some great ideas and I will definitely read more of him. There wasn't enough detail in this book to really discuss his ideas, but I do have one issue with understanding these kind of concepts. There are concepts that control how we sustain our class system, but it is hard for me to think that many people consciously take the actions that keep it going. I guess I see both the rich and the poor as actors in their own Idiocracy movie. They just keep doing what they have learned whether it was directly transmitted or not. I wonder what Social Studies classes are like at prestigious colleges. Do they state the ideas and then encourage them to grapple with which side they are on for themselves?

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compré este libro porque me interesa mucho las ideas de Chomsky sobre la lingüística, a la cuál se les dedica una parte del libro pero no todo. Son increíbles las ideas de este señor en general sobre política y las sociedad (y ni mencionar sus ideas sobre lingüística que son absolutamente maravillosas). Es excelente para conocer más sobre él y sobre lo que escribe.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, Noam Chomsky is one of the most significant intellectuals of our time. I've never encountered any of his work, except a few references in Advances in the Study of Greek. I was intrigued by this series of books "for beginners," and snagged this from the library.

Let's just say that Chomsky is highly stimulating, controversial, and worth engaging. His linguistic theories were revolutionary, his critique of media is dead on, and his politics--well, let's just say preaches the doctrine of "total depravity" to power in ways that Christians should take note of.

Cogswell is definitely a fan, and that comes through all over the place. This is not a critical interaction, but a popular exposition in simple terms of Chomsky's main contributions. I liked it.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers basics of his linguistics and his politics. It attempted to do something I've always wondered about -- which is to connect the two. They say they are connected by a tendency to challenge B.F. Skinner and that it carries over into the political field. I'm not 100% convinced. However, definitely some "red" pill stuff. There are so many layers of complicity on perhaps an unconscious level even in his view I would think.

[Armin Hamidiiran · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's a good kick starter for beginners on Chomsky. It introduces the reader to three important aspects of Chomsky's works: :Linguistics, Media and Politics.
It's a thoughtful and interesting book with both simple and complicated matters: from Universal Grammar to Mass Media. There are pictures and quotations, so younger people (and some older ones like myself!) would also enjoy reading it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to properly review because I read this shortly after watching the documentary "Manufacturing Consent" and discussing Chomsky for school, so I wasn't going in blind. That said, I really admire the goals of this series and hope to read other books in it.

[Jenny Dawe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and straightforward (in keeping with the ethos of Chomsky!) overview which avoids obfuscation or overwhelming it's reader unlike some books I've read which claim they are for beginners.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what it says. Covers both his political life and his linguistic work.

[Adria Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great introduction to Chomsky. The book covers Chomsky's life, political views and studies in linguistics.

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. Author points out Chomsky's political arguments and his linguistic talents. Very interesting.

[Tin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's mostly about Chomsky's Politics rather than his Linguistics, But it's just fine. I learn a lot from it.

[Ibrahim Abdulla · Rating 3 out of 5]

مقدمة لتشومسكي الألسني، وتشومسكي الناشط والكاتي السياسي. التركيز الأكبر من نصيب الثاني، وإن كان العرض المختصر لمساهماته اللغوية في غاية الجودة، وأقترحه كخيارٍ أول لمن لا يعرف أي شيء عنها.

[Ian Pitchford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction for those who understandably fear the dense and weighty tomes that explain Chomsky's work.

[Rigoberto Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to Chomsky. I'm now looking forward to reading any of his books.

[Alatea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to learn more about Chomsky's linguistical works (and the book is mainly about his political views). I still found out many new things, just not from linguistic point of view. Oh, and the drawings were quite annoying.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something for everyone here. A great quick summary for those already familiar with Chomsky, and especially fantastic for anyone who wants to understand the basics of Chomsky without struggling to get through his more difficult works (though I still recommend Latin America as a starting point for those wanting to get into Chomsky). The interview at the back is among the better excerpted interviews in the many, many books covering Chomsky - concise, hitting all the major points you need to (re)hear, and, twenty years later, more relevant than ever. It baffles me that this book has been around since 1996 and yet so many people in the world and in the US are still as ignorant as they are about history, politics, economics, corporations, and everything that matters for humans trying to live together on the same planet. The brainwash machine rolls on. Read it. Or just preserve your ignorance and go back to feel-good David Greene empathy pieces on corporate NPR. Whatever.

[Bran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of explanations that are useful.

[Bloblo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chomsky for beginners, like the title says. In comic book form.
An even easier read.

[Stephanie Chring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, concise and clearly a great introduction to Chomsky.

[Kasturi Dadhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

read it a second time. enjoyed it even more. and got shocked like never before. still as prophetic as ever!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To ask serious questions about the nature and behavior of one's own society is often difficult and unpleasant; difficult because the answers are generally concealed, and unpleasant because the answers are often not only ugly... but also painful. To understand the truth about these matters is to be led to action that may not be easy to undertake and that may even carry a significant personal cost. In contrast, the easy way is to succumb to the demands of the powerful, to avoid searching questions, and to accept the doctrine that is hammered home incessantly by the propaganda system. This is, no doubt, the main reason for the easy victory of dominant ideologies, for the general tendency to remain silent or to keep fairly close to official doctrine with regard to the behavior of one's own state and its allies... while lining up to condemn the real or alleged crimes of its enemies."

[Ali Noroozian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tries to introduce Chomsky's ideas in linguistics and politics in simple terms and most importantly explain his diatribe against US policies. When you study the eminent scholars' opinions such as Baudrillard, Chomsky, Foucault, and so on you understand that the world is so evil and human beings can potentially become voracious monsters. Freedom of speech doesn't have a chance against politics, media, and money. It does not have to do with optimism or pessimism. However, we also should not be disappointed as Chomsky says:

"suppose that there's 99 percent of a probability that human civilization is going to be destroyed in the next hundred years, but one percent chance that it won't be, and that one percent offers some opportunities to do something. Well you commit yourself to that one percent"

[Irfan Muhaimin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chosky antara tokoh pemikir terkemuka yang mash jada. Ada mengatakan bahawa beliau satu level dengan Rene Descartes dan seangkatanya. Beliau berketurunan yahudi namun keluarganya terlibat jauh kultur yahudi, zionisme dan kebangkitan kembali yahudi. Kehidupan awal Chomsky penuh I dengan liku liku akibat kekurangan sumber kewangan namun untuk menampung kehidupannya beliau mengajar bahasa yahudi di universiti. Beliau 4 pernah merancang untuk pergi ke Palestin bagi memajukan Arab-Yahudi dalam kerangka kerja sosialis tapi menarik diri disebabkan konsep sangat anti demokrasi ole negara Yahudi. Disiplin sebenar chomsky adalah Linguistik namun minatnya terhadap dunia sosiologi, politik, falsafah disebabkan kehidupan politiknya berjaya mengupas pelbagai masalah is semasa dihadapi dunia moden hari ini. Antaranya kritikanya tentang media, teori behavior, komunism, anarkis, fasisme.

[Nik Pizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve only read segments of Chomsky’s actual work and some interviews here and there so It’s hard for me to judge how much of his ideas they cram in here. I feel like I got a decent sense of Chomsky’s history, personality, and philosophy, which is nice because he’s a pretty cool guy 😎. I think this book should definitely not be used as a comprehensive study of Chomsky, but that should be obvious. For what it is they did a good job, but sometimes the comic booky-ness of it was weird for me and I wish they name dropped his books and articles more so the reader could explore more about some of his ideas.

[Bruce Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to one of the top 10 thinkers in Western history. First famous for his work in linguistics, he is also known for his work in propaganda (Necessary Illusions, Manufacturing Consent) and political criticism (numerous books and interviews). He counsels all of us to look beyond the headlines to get at the truth, to see that ours is not a classless, free market democracy but a continuation of the classed governments of old ruled by the wealthy for the accumulation of profits, with companies subsidized by taxpayers.