Internationally acclaimed anarchist and critical libertarian Marxist Noam Chomsky will address UT students and faculty from his breadth of experience tonight. He will play host to one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Spring semester.
Chomsky, one of the most prolific linguistic and international relations scholars of our time, has written extensively on topics ranging from the theoretical roots of syntax to the underpinnings of American hegemony.
His intellectual pursuits have fostered an uncompromising trademark perspective on the international role of the U.S. He persistently criticizes the outworking of a capitalistic economic system that he believes has prospered at the expense of subjugation for the global majority.
“When it comes to his views on U.S. foreign policy, I typically agree with Mr. Chomsky,” Nathaniel Shelso, Issues Committee chair, said. “Mr. Chomsky typically tells it like it is when it comes to U.S. foreign policy as an instrument of economic interests.”
In addition to his scathing appraisal of U.S. foreign policy, Chomsky is known for his distrust of the mainstream media. He asserts that corporate forces move to instill capitalistic economic and political goals in public opinion through strict control of media coverage.
Well-versed in his subjects, Chomsky received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1955, later becoming a professor in the department of modern languages and linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961.
In devotion to the understanding of grammatical structures, Chomsky pioneered modern understanding of language. His work exploring linguistic “deep structures” has brought forth greater understanding of the universality of oral communication and its relations to intrinsic functions of the human brain.
“He was originally most well-known for his work in linguistics and his views about the innateness of linguistic structures, and their universality across all human beings,” Richard E. Aquila, professor in the Department of Philosophy, said. “In turn, these views were also taken by some philosophers of mind to support the notion that we are born with certain ‘innate ideas.'”
The universal applicability of Chomsky’s work has fostered worldwide respect in disciplines ranging from philosophy to psychology. The lecture offers students across the various subjects a chance to broaden their horizons.
“Students should attend this lecture because they will undoubtedly learn something new,” Shelso said. “Whether it is a simple matter of how events have unfolded or a whole new way of analyzing current problems in our world, I think students will learn something.”
Experienced internationally, Chomsky delivered a series of John Locke Lectures at Oxford in 1969, and the following year he delivered the Bertrand Russell Memorial Lecture at Cambridge University. He has also spoken around the world in universities from New Delhi to Leiden.
“In the last few decades Chomsky has been an object of attention primarily directed toward his political views,” Aquila said.
Chomsky is a fellow of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Science. The Central Programming Council, as well as the Issues Committee, will sponsor the event.
Interested students should be careful to arrive in plenty of time to get a seat.
“Get there early,” Selso said. “We will try to let students in first if there is a line.”
The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium in Alumni Memorial Building.
