2. A brief introduction.
• Noam Chomsky was born on the 7th December 1928.
• He is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist.
• Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics“
• His main interests are Linguistics, Psychology, Philosophy of language, Philosophy of
mind, Politics and Ethics.
• He has been working at MIT for 50 years and so is a very intelligent man.
• His undergraduate and graduate years were spent at the University of Pennsylvania
where he received his PhD in linguistics in 1955.
• in 1961 was appointed full professor in the Department of Modern Languages and
Linguistics.
• Chomsky remembers the first article he wrote was at age 10 while a student at Oak Lane
Country Day School about the threat of the spread of fascism, following the fall of Barcelona
in the Spanish Civil War. From the age of 12 or 13, he identified more fully with anarchist
politics.
• Chomsky has been known to vigorously defend and debate his views and opinions, in
philosophy, linguistics, and politics.
• As for his political views, Chomsky has stated that his "personal visions are fairly traditional
anarchist ones, with origins in The Enlightenment and classical liberalism"
3. Five Filters.
• There are five filters:
ownership, funding, sourcing, flak and anti-
communism and fear.
4. Additional information
• Chomsky’s father was a noted professor of Hebrew at gratz college and industrial
workers of the world and his mother was a part of the radical activism in the 1930’s .
• However Chomsky was largely influenced by his uncle who never passed the 4th grade
and owned a newsstand .
• Due to Chomsky’s upbringing and beliefs school was difficult for him and childhood
memories took a long time to overcome.
• From the age of 12 he identified more fully with anarchist politics.
• Chomsky began studying philosophy and linguistics at the university of Pennsylvania in
1945.
• Chomsky earned a BA in 1949 and an MA in 1951. In 1949 he married linguist carol
schatz and remained married to her for 59 years until her death from cancer in
December 2008.
• He has two daughters and a son.
• Chomsky received his PhD in linguistics in 1955.
• He joined the staff of MIT in 1955 and in 1961 was appointed full professor in the
department of modern languages and linguistics.
• As of 2010 , Chomsky has taught at MIT continuously for 55 years.
• He has previously received death threats due to his criticism and so this shows that he
stands by his beliefs and teaches this to others.
