Introducing Chomsky: A Graphic Guide

Introducing Graphic Guides

by John Maher

This book traces Chomsky's understanding of the cognitive realities involved in the use of language, and the technical apparatus needed to represent it.

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

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 1993

Reviews

[Shimaa Mokhtar · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب جيد عن واحد من أعظم العقول المفكرة في عالمنا المعاصر
الجزء الأول من الكتاب يتحدث عن اسهامات تشومسكس في علم اللغة ونظرياته التي ما زالت محل ترحيب وخلاف كبير إلى اليوم، أما الجزء الثاني -الأقل في القيمة- يتحدث عن رؤيته وآرائه السياسية والاجتماعية
يعاب على الكتاب صعوبة مفرداته للقارئ العادي، بعض المصطلحات اللغوية كانت بحاجة إلى تفسير أكبر وبعض النظريات تم عرضها بنوع من السطحية دون عمق
يستحق القراءة على أي حال لمن يرغب أن يتعرف على نعوم تشومسكي لكن لا تنتظر منه الكثير

[Omar Kassem · Rating 3 out of 5]

مقدمة جيدة و واضحة وبسيطة للنظريات التي وضعها تشومسكي في المجال اللغوي وإنجازاته ضمن هذا الحقل ثم انتقاله أو بعبارة أصح استحوذ عليه شغف السياسة..
لم يتم عرض الأراء السياسية او التوجهات بشكل كبير ، بل ظلت مخفية وغير واضحة و طغت فكرة نعوم تشومسكي اللغوي أكثر في معظم نواحي الكتاب..
نظرياته ضمن المجال اللغوي وعملية ربط اللغة والدماغ مثيرة للإهتمام ، لكنني قرأت الكتاب لأستمتع بتشومسكي السياسي ولم اجد ما يرضي هذه الناحية بداخلي!

[Beauregard Bottomley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do all three of these statements have in common: 1) There are missing MIAs in Vietnam, 2) Lee Harvey Oswald was framed for the murder of JFK, and 3) Chomsky’s Linguistic Universal Grammar (UG) is valid? The answer is that they are all perfect examples of pseudo-science, that is, they all contain non-falsifiable hypothesis such that there is no data or evidence that I could provide to show them to be not true. That doesn’t mean they aren’t true statements about the world, it just means there is no way to refute any of them. Those statements are just as invalid as when a MAGA hat wearing moron says Trump won the election or when they say Covid-19 vaccines don’t work. There is no data I could provide to them that would convince them that they are wrong. And what do you say to a MAGA moron when they tell you Covid-19 vaccines don’t work? The answer: nothing, since they are not part of my reality and they will only shift the goal post such that it is no longer part of this world, but is only part of some inner part of their own mind which does not intersect with normal people’s reality and Chomsky’s UG has that same feeling to it.

Within this graphic novel the full extent of Chomsky’s nightmare of a system is illustrated such that anyone can follow what he is saying and realize the fool heartiness of the system, and this book should act as a warning for those who want to build abstracts upon abstracts with no relationship to what is except for models recursively built up from hypothesizes with no relationship to normal people’s reality. I can’t say that his Universal Grammar principle is wrong since any criticism I could make about it can be refuted within his rules of the game, but as always the burden of proof is on the one who is making the assertion and his assertions allow for chameleon like shape shifting as the mood grabs him. Universal Grammar reminds me of Freud and his psycho-analysis since Freud could never be shown wrong using his non-falsifiable hypothesizes, at best for him it was people who were using the theory wrongly that was making the error since in the end, for Freud, we are all repressed since we deny our own repression.

Chomsky’s political beliefs seemed to be recursively related to his Universal Grammar system. Chomsky makes an error in assumption when he tacitly assumes that there is a central overriding authority controlling us through our corrupt governments and our even worse Corporations under the hegemony of the self-perpetuating Capitalistic regime. I don’t even disagree with his worldview of the controlling lot-of-heels that makes us think that we are one of them and that they are one of us while, of course, they only do what serves their own individual interest. I only disagree with him when he provides a meta-narrative for them as a group, that is, he thinks there is a narrative about the narrative and gives the forces of darkness an overriding central authority when no such thing exists except for each individual’s own self serving interest. I would say shit just happens and there is no overriding meaning to explain what is happening. In a way, he makes the same kind of error with his UG worldview, there is no story behind the story that takes all forms for all people and I don’t think all languages of the world behave to his special set of rules since his rules are a convoluted mess and can take any shape he wants.

Even though, I disagree with everything about the UG, this graphic novel does present the theory in such a way that anyone can follow it for themselves and make their own judgment about it.

[Andrew Nguyen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book on a whim, but it was a bad whim. Thumbing through the book, the art was quirky and I thought it might be an easy introduction to linguistics, a topic I know nothing about.

My main gripe is that the topics are covered in such little depth and switched between so quickly that I never had time to digest any of the ideas. I’m not sure if this book was meant to be a reference, but it would be a poor one at that. A lot of the explanations straddled the line between hand wavey and inscrutable detail. The art also really added nothing to my understanding, and a lot of the art just ended up being a cutout of Noam Chomsky talking with several unrecognizable (to me) linguistic figureheads. I learned maybe a little bit about linguistics from this book, but a lot about what Noam Chomsky looks like.


I’m not sure who the audience for this book, but maybe it should have been titled, “Introducing Chomsky for People who Already Study Linguistics and Also a Few Random Chapters on Politics.”

[Sameeksha Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations. Need to read more graphic novels.

[Castles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not many talk about Chomsky’s actual work in linguistic, so that was a refreshing short study of it. Honestly, it’s quite boring and complicated.

[Saif Saeed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this hoping to understand Chomskys politics but I ended up understanding Chomskys work as a linguist instead. The political views are tucked away at the end, not really much depth to them unfortunately. I did like that they noted how influenced he was politically by Dewey, and the Dewey quotes sprinkled in were alright.

Interesting way to view language and knowledge, fascinating and as cutting edge now as when Chomsky cooked up these theories on language and the brain, but ultimately not political in nature so I guess maybe put that on the cover next time.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good lucid introduction to Chomsky's Linguistic accomplishments and theories, ending with an entree to his passion for libertarian political thought and his inspiring activism on behalf of the politically enthralled and unconsciously enslaved masses, ourselves included. Inspired to read this and more of his politcal philosophy by the documentary CHOMSKY: MANUFACTURING CONSENT.

[Ismail Khilath Rasheed · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Introducing Chomsky: A Graphic Guide” by John Maher and Judy Groves is another life-changing book for me. Opened my mind so wide. A billion thanks to my high school friend who gifted me this book, bringing it all the way to Maldives from Malaysia!

Simplified “guides” like these are actually more useful to people like us who don’t have the academic knowledge to dive into intellectually dense subjects of personalities and their interesting philosophies about the human condition and our life on this Earth and beyond.

I plan to find more of these “guide” books because after reading this guide on Chomsky, I am sure I will find such guides very beneficial because I am no longer at any education institution and so I wouldn’t have the chance to get proper understanding of philosophical and literary works coming from intellectuals such as Chomsky.

For example, I am sure I would have loved Russian Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” which would have made sense to me if I received instructions from a lecturer of literature. I say this because I loved South African Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer’s “July’s People” when it was taught by a British teacher in my higher secondary education English literature class.

From this guide, what I understand is that Chomsky, a US professor and public intellectual who is also a renowned linguist and political activist, has contributed significantly to various fields of study. His linguistic theories revolutionized our understanding of language, while his political views have made him a prominent figure in critical social and political analysis.

Chomsky’s three philosophies about “Linguistic Philosophy” can be understood under three points:

• Universal Grammar: Chomsky's most influential concept, proposing an innate, biologically endowed linguistic faculty in humans. This faculty, he argues, enables children to acquire language rapidly and effortlessly, despite limited input.

• Generative Grammar: A framework for describing the rules of language, focusing on the underlying structures that generate an infinite number of grammatical sentences.

• Nativism: The belief that certain knowledge and abilities are innate, rather than acquired through experience. In linguistics, this implies that humans are born with a predisposition for language acquisition.

Chomsky’s “Political Philosophy” can be understood under four points:

• Anarchism: Chomsky identifies as a libertarian socialist and an anarchist, advocating for a society without hierarchical power structures.

• Anti-imperialism: A strong critic of US foreign policy, he views US interventions as driven by economic and strategic interests, often harming targeted populations.

• Media Criticism: Chomsky has extensively analyzed the role of mainstream media, arguing that it often serves the interests of powerful elites, shaping public opinion through propaganda and manipulation.

• Human Rights: A vocal advocate for human rights, Chomsky has spoken out against various human rights abuses worldwide, including state repression, political imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.

Chomsky also has two other notable philosophies:

• Rationalism: Chomsky's emphasis on innate knowledge and reason aligns with rationalist philosophy, which prioritizes reason and logic as sources of knowledge.

• Critical Theory: Influenced by critical theory, Chomsky's work often challenges dominant ideologies and power structures, seeking to expose underlying assumptions and contradictions.

Chomsky's views are complex and multifaceted, encompassing a wide range of topics and perspectives, which is why I found this guide book crucial for my understanding of his linguistic and political philosophies. His work continues to inspire and provoke debate across various disciplines, making him one of the most influential intellectuals of our time.

[David W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting from page 120, the book diverts from Chomsky's work in linguistics to "radical critique of the institutions of power and the pathways of oppression, and his commitment to freedom and justice." Page 144 for example has him popped up with a quote balloon: "There's an unpronounceable 5-letter word in the United States – 'CLASS'." I've read better overall books in this Icon Booms series (HELLO, JOYCE, DARWIN, EINSTEIN & KAFKA.) but I've never seen a better diversion than this one.

[Alex0 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was just plain ok. It didn’t really do Chomsky justice. I’m pretty familiar which Chomsky’s work in politics, but not at all familiar with his work as a linguist.

If a book is an “intro to,” I expect coverage to be accessible to someone with no background in a given subject.

[SergioEavesDropping · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manila-Lavapiés.

[Emma Ioana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gets three stars because of the fun and cool graphic style and illustrations.

However, the title is misleading - it's not an introductory book on Chomsky at all. For a person who has no idea about linguistics or about politics, there is a lot of jargon used and too many surface level explanations.

As a result, it's hard to comprehend on itself if you're really a beginner in linguistics or politics. I had to use ChatGPT to get complementary explanations.

It's certainly not a book to read before sleep or when you want to relax or when you're tired. You need to be able to focus and to have a well rested mind.

[Johannes Duckeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A particularly fascinating Introducing book! The first 120 pages cover Chomsky the linguist, and it is a pretty dense read, but I learned a lot! His view of language makes sense, but seems very difficult to understand. There is a system in place in our brains that matures during childhood, about how language is acquired. It’s not arbitrary or a blank slate, solely dependent on surrounding stimuli, but governed by specific innate laws or rules. In these studies, Chomsky reveals simultaneously how little we know about the brain or the mind and how they work in general.

The rest of the book is dedicated to Chomsky’s political views. It cleared up some misconceptions I had about him, which were probably inspired by conservative voices. I really enjoyed reading about his views and it has made me much more curious to read more by him!

My main criticism is, as with most of these books, that it hasn’t received an update since its release 20 years ago.

[Pantelis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Πολύ, πολύ, πολύ κακή μετάφραση. Μια συλλογή από ιδέες του Τσόμσκι όπου φιλοδοξεί κάθε σελίδα να σε εισάγει σε μια αυτοτελή ιδέα του γλωσσολόγου και διανοητή αλλά αν θέλεις να την κατανοήσεις πραγματικά πρέπει ν' αφοσιωθείς, να ψάξεις σε άλλες πηγές και να επιστρέψεις. Και αυτό, δεδομένου του ότι υποτίθεται πως προσπαθούμε να καταλάβουμε το έργο ενός γλωσσολόγου με την βοήθεια εικόνων, κόμικ και απλοϊκής γραφής, είναι μια τραγική ειρωνεία.

[أبو عمار · Rating 3 out of 5]

كنت متحمسا لقراءة المزيد عن واحد من اشهر علماء اللغة في العالم، خرجت بمعلومات مفيدة لكن الكتاب لم يكن بالعمق الذي توقعته

[Tacuazin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because I wanted to know more about Chomsky's works in linguistics, without realizing it would also include his political writings. That was a bonus, and I'm grateful. I also thought the graphic format would be helpful to understand better a field I find fascinating, chewing down to layman's terms the obvious complexity of linguistics theory. I was wrong. I'll try wikipedia next time.

On the plus side, I found the part of Chomsy as social critic way more understandable and, in a way, relatable.

"You cannot force people to obey by violence, as the Soviet system tried to do. So you need systems of indoctrination to ensure that they agree to what the ruling groups want to do". A terrifying reality.

I learned this book was initially published in 1997 under the title Chomsky for Beginners, with several reimpressions. Well, the world is not a better place -politically speaking- 26 years later, and his opinions on capitalism, class, liberalism and whatnot are more relevant than ever.

Talking about the unions: "The most effective democratizating force in such society is the labour movement. You can measure the strength of this democratic force by the sustained, sophisticated and often violent efforts to control or destroy it altogether."

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased Chomsky for Beginners without much expectation, but as a Chomsky book to put into my library. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the exposition and thought that went into putting this excellent synopsis of Chomsky's ideas in linguists and their role in utterly transforming our understanding of human language. Even more than that, Maher and Chomsky include a range of contrary opinions and subsequent arguments that, although very concise, clearly illuminate the issues, thinking and controversies.

The basic evisceration of the behaviourist model of language acquisition was well articulated throughout. But I like how he approached Skinner.

The Refutation of Behaviourism
In 1959, Chomsky composed a basic refutation of behaviourist psychology in this review of B.F. Skinner's Verbal Behaviour. According to Chomsky, children are not born tabula rasa. On the contrary, each child is genetically predisposed to structure how knowledge is acquired.

"The phrase 'X is reinforced by Y' is being used as a cover term for X wants Y, X likes Y, X wishes Y were the case, etc. Invoking the term 'reinforcement' has no explanatory force, and any idea that this paraphrase introduces any new clarity or objectivity into the description of wishing, liking, etc., is a serious delusion."

Skinner's account rejects all postulations of inner states and sees human behaviour as entirely a function of antecedent events. For Chomsky, this reduction of human behaviour to 'conditioned responses' contradicts the actual [and demonstrated] complexity and freedom of consciousness (43).

I find the few quotations supplied to be on point and interesting. As a reader of fiction, even of so-called 'literature' I was bemused to read:

Perhaps literature will forever give far deeper insight into 'the full human person' than any model of scientific inquiry can hope to do (9).

The bulk (2/3) of the book covers linguistics. The balance of the book is Chomsky's political and media criticism. This was of less interest to me, that being where the bulk of my Chomsky reading has been. However with that exposure comes my ability to assess how well that section is put together. But more than that, the precise and clearly articulated criticisms of the media and socio-political thought in general was hugely informative and entertaining to read. For example, the contrast that Chomsky draws between 'enlightenment values' and how far our science and social perspicuity have fallen from them is delightful.

For example:

The American Paradox
The United States proudly calls itself 'the leader of the Free World'. We know the US as a free and open society, more so in many ways than societies of Western Europe. And yet, Chomsky has criticized the US as blind to what it really is…
1. One of the most depoliticized nations in the industrial world
2. One of the most deeply indoctrinated societies in the industrial world
3. One of the most conformist intelligentsias in the industrial world.

Q: IS THIS NOT A PARADOX?
A: It only looks that way.

The freer the society the more well-honed and sophisticated its system of thought control and the indoctrination. The ruling élite, clever, class-conscious, ever sure of domination, make sure of that (138-9).

It is clear from the very first page that, unlike the one or two 'Dummy' books I've tried, the writers of Chomsky for Beginners, John Maher and Noam Chomsky, demonstrate deep respect for the readers' intelligence and ability to understand complex ideas. This at no time feels dumbed down. This book has been described as a good introduction to Chomsky's ideas, and it is. But far, far more importantly, this is a book that introduces one to the challenge of really thinking, even those who are, like me, familiar with Chomsky. And I loved that.

Now, everything up to this point would have earned from me four stars. So why five? Because for the first time I read someone else make the connection between C.G. Jung and Chomsky's ideas of language and language acquisition. I was so excited to see this! (For my connection, see my review of Noam Chomsky: A Philosophic Review by Justin Leiber.) From Beginners Maher does not elaborate on the connection beyond a citation on the Collective Unconscious which he implies has a correspondence to Chomsky's concepts of Deep Structure and Universal Grammar.

"One part of our biological make up is specifically dedicated to language. That is called our language faculty. UG is the initial state of that language faculty" (77).
…

Universal Grammar is that part of cognitive psychology (ultimately human biology) which seeks to determine the invariant principles of the language faculty and to determine as well the range of variation that those principles allow — that is, the possible human languages (78).

Now compare with Jung's idea of the collective unconscious and archetypes:

The human psyche is composed of innate forms always present, giving direction and form to their actualization in images and action. The collective unconscious is universal: it is shared by everyone. "The autonomic contents of the unconscious or 'dominants' … are not inherited ideas but inherited possibilities, necessities even, of bringing to birth the ideas by which these dominants have been expressed, every region has its forms of speech, which can vary infinitely" (80-1).

[Laurence Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good introduction

Two parts really...linguistics part one then political comment and implications...both I interesting in their own right but almost o st found it to be two different books. But realise in such a short summary of such a figure, justified . Could not agree with everything but of course that would not be possible considering such subject matter...made me rethink what socialism really manifests itself as.

[Clive Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

To the point, yet dominated by his linguistics .

Bit of a ‘deep dive’ into Chomsky, specifically (like 80%) examining the details of his linguistics world. My interests lay outside of this, in his ideas and work around social injustice, which although referred to, could have served up a greater proportion .

[Bruce Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much space taken on Chomsky's linguistic achievements. Not enough on his social criticism. I like the Bertrand Russell quote at the end of the book.

"Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind."

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que me sirvió mucho la clase de lingüística que tuve pq el libro da un poco por hecho algunos conceptos. Como que en general si te explica cosillas y está muy interesante pero si se siente como que debes traer una base detrás.
Aún así estuvo cool y la explicación gráfica lo hizo más dinámico e interesante, tqm Chomsky

[Sinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of Chomsky's linguistic theory and political views. Mainly focussing on his linguistic work (generative grammar). I enjoyed it, even though I was looking for more of a political POV. The short section on his politics was brief but clear, and even slightly satirical at points.

[Aristodemos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a linguist, nor do I have any interest in it, so the first part of this book was a waste of time. Skip to page 120 for the political part.

[Bettye Mashack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chomsky

I did not complete this book.really chose it by mistake. Was unable to complete. Was not what i thought it would be.

[Siti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful effort to simplify the subject. Although some images are quite random and the topic did not flow quite well

[Dulnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear,condensed explanation of Chomsky's linguistics.
The section on his politics provides an insightful critique of capitalism and American policy.

[kewan alghofaily · Rating 1 out of 5]

الترجمة ركيكة جدًا حتى المفاهيم التي سبق ودرستها كانت غريبة علي!

[Signor Mambrino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a few of these Introducing books, and this was the worst one. Maybe it's just the nature of the topic, but this book doesn't make it easy to understand Chomsky's ideas at all.

[Benno Krojer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. Didn't like it. No structure to hold onto.