Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is one of the leading intellectual figures of modern times. He has had a major influence on linguistics, psychology and philosophy, and a significant effect on many other disciplines, from anthropology to mathematics, education to literary criticism. In this rigorous yet accessible account of Chomsky’s work and influence, Neil Smith analyses Chomsky’s key contributions to the study of language and the study of mind. He gives a detailed exposition of Chomsky’s linguistic theorizing, discusses the psychological and philosophical implications of Chomsky’s work, and argues that he has fundamentally changed the way we think of ourselves, gaining a position in the history of ideas on a par with that of Darwin or Descartes. This second edition has been thoroughly updated to account for Chomsky’s most recent work, including his continued contributions to linguistics, his further discussion on evolution, and his extensive work on the events of September 11th, 2001.

• A unique overview of all aspects of Chomsky’s work: linguistic, philosophical and political • A synthesis of 50 years’ revolutionary work into an easily understandable and coherent account of the century’s most widely cited thinker • Authoritative and up-to-date

1. The mirror of the mind; 2. The linguistic foundation; 3. Psychological reality; 4. Philosophical realism: commitments and controversies; 5. Language and freedom.

‘Neil Smith’s book is a sympathetically personal and academically astute introduction to important themes in Chomsky’s linguistic and political work. I recommend this book to students, and specialists will find it useful too.’ James McGilvray, McGill University