Noam Chomsky
American linguist and political writer, born in 1928; author of American Power and the New Mandarins (1969).
Noam Chomsky did not write this page. ppll compiled it from their own words, each linked to the source. Is this you? · Report a mistake
What they believe
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"Speak truth to power" misdescribes the task: the powerful already know the truth
It is sometimes held that their responsibility is “to speak truth to power.” I’ve always found that troubling. The powerful typically know the truth quite well.
chomsky.infoSaid 7 Oct 2021This on korrents
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Intellectuals have a responsibility to speak the truth and expose lies
It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies.
archive.orgSaid c. 1967–1969This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 6 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
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"Speak truth to power" misdescribes the task: the powerful already know the truth
It is sometimes held that their responsibility is “to speak truth to power.” I’ve always found that troubling. The powerful typically know the truth quite well.
It’s Life and Death — Intellectuals Can’t Keep Serving the Status Quo (interviewed by C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout) Said 7 Oct 2021
The responsible intellectual speaks with the powerless and learns the truth with them
The task of a responsible person — anyone who wants to uphold intellectual and moral values — is not to speak what they regard as truth to anybody — the powerful or the powerless — but rather to speak with the powerless and to try to learn the truth.
It’s Life and Death — Intellectuals Can’t Keep Serving the Status Quo (interviewed by C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout) Said 7 Oct 2021
We live in a confluence of crises with no counterpart in human history
We are living in an era of confluence of crises that has no counterpart in human history.
It’s Life and Death — Intellectuals Can’t Keep Serving the Status Quo (interviewed by C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout) Said 7 Oct 2021
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Organized human society is threatened with extinction by environmental destruction, mostly by the rich
It is now organized human society worldwide that is “threatened with extinction” under the blows of environmental destruction, overwhelmingly by the rich, concentrated in the rich countries.
It’s Life and Death — Intellectuals Can’t Keep Serving the Status Quo (interviewed by C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout) Said 7 Oct 2021
Intellectuals have a responsibility to speak the truth and expose lies
It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies.
American Power and the New Mandarins (Pantheon, 1969) Said c. 1967–1969
Intellectuals can expose governments' lies and their hidden intentions
Intellectuals are in a position to expose the lies of governments, to analyze actions according to their causes and motives and often hidden intentions.
American Power and the New Mandarins (Pantheon, 1969) Said c. 1967–1969
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