CHOMSKY FOR BEGINNERS

The epoch-making theories of linguist Noam Chomsky maintain that the human brain has an innate language faculty and that part of this biological endowment is a “universal grammar”, a theory of principles common to all languages. Thus all human languages and the ways in which children learn them are remarkably similar. His book Synatic Structures, a turning point in 20th century linguistics, challenged assumptions in many areas such as philosophy, psychology and intellectual history. Heir to the Enlightenment tradition, Chomsky has introduced new perspectives on language, the creative individual and the nature of human freedom in society. Chomsky For Beginners traces Chomsky’s understanding of the cognitive realities involved in the use of language and the technical apparatus needed to represent it. John Maher also describes his radical critique of the institutions of power and pathways of oppression, and his commitment to freedom and justice. The book is superbly illustrated by Judy Groves.