In his foundational book, The Minimalist Program, published in 1995, Noam Chomsky offered a significant contribution to the generative tradition in linguistics. This twentieth-anniversary edition reissues this classic work with a new preface by the author. In four essays, Chomsky attempts to situate linguistic theory in the broader cognitive sciences, with the essays formulating and progressively developing the minimalist approach to linguistic theory. Building on the theory of principles and parameters and, in particular, on principles of economy of derivation and representation, the minimalist framework takes Universal Grammar as providing a unique computational system, with derivations driven by morphological properties, to which the syntactic variation of languages is also restricted. Within this theoretical framework, linguistic expressions are generated by optimally efficient derivations that must satisfy the conditions that hold on interface levels, the only levels of linguistic representation. The interface levels provide instructions to two types of performance systems, articulatory-perceptual and conceptual-intentional. All syntactic conditions, then, express properties of these interface levels, reflecting the interpretive requirements of language and keeping to very restricted conceptual resources.

In the preface to this edition, Chomsky emphasizes that the minimalist approach developed in the book and in subsequent work "is aprogram, not a theory." With this book, Chomsky built on pursuits from the earliest days of generative grammar to formulate a new research program that had far-reaching implications for the field.

Noam Chomsky's Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, published in 1965, was a landmark work in generative grammar that introduced certain technical innovations still drawn upon in contemporary work. The fiftieth anniversary edition of this influential book includes a new preface by the author that identifies proposals that seem to be of lasting significance, reviews changes and improvements in the formulation and implementation of basic ideas, and addresses some of the controversies that arose over the general framework.

Beginning in the mid-fifties and emanating largely from MIT, linguists developed an approach to linguistic theory and to the study of the structure of particular languages that diverged in many respects from conventional modern linguistics. Although the new approach was connected to the traditional study of languages, it differed enough in its specific conclusions about the structure of language to warrant a name, "generative grammar." Various deficiencies were discovered in the first attempts to formulate a theory of transformational generative grammar and in the descriptive analysis of particular languages that motivated these formulations. At the same time, it became apparent that these formulations can be extended and deepened. In this book, Chomsky reviews these developments and proposes a reformulation of the theory of transformational generative grammar that takes them into account. The emphasis in this study is syntax; semantic and phonological aspects of the language structure are discussed only insofar as they bear on syntactic theory.

Two of Chomsky's most famous and accessible works

Described by the New York Times as "arguably the most important intellectual alive," Noam Chomsky is known throughout the world for his highly influential writings on language and politics. Featuring two of Chomsky's most popular and enduring books in one omnibus volume, On Language contains some of the noted linguist and political critic's most informal and accessible work to date, making it an ideal introduction to his thought.

In Part I, Language and Responsibility (1979), Chomsky presents a fascinating self-portrait of his political, moral, and linguistic thinking through a series of interviews with Mitsou Ronat, the noted French linguist. In Part II,Reflections on Language (1975), Chomsky explores the more general implications of the study of language and offers incisive analyses of the controversies among psychologists, philosophers, and linguists over fundamental questions of language.

Two of Chomsky's most famous and accessible works

Described by the New York Times as "arguably the most important intellectual alive," Noam Chomsky is known throughout the world for his highly influential writings on language and politics. Featuring two of Chomsky's most popular and enduring books in one omnibus volume, On Language contains some of the noted linguist and political critic's most informal and accessible work to date, making it an ideal introduction to his thought.

In Part I, Language and Responsibility (1979), Chomsky presents a fascinating self-portrait of his political, moral, and linguistic thinking through a series of interviews with Mitsou Ronat, the noted French linguist. In Part II,Reflections on Language (1975), Chomsky explores the more general implications of the study of language and offers incisive analyses of the controversies among psychologists, philosophers, and linguists over fundamental questions of language.

On Anarchism provides the reasoning behind Noam Chomsky's fearless lifelong questioning of the legitimacy of entrenched power. In these essays, Chomsky redeems one of the most maligned ideologies, anarchism, and places it at the foundation of his political thinking. Chomsky's anarchism is distinctly optimistic and egalitarian. Moreover, it is a living, evolving tradition that is situated in a historical lineage; Chomsky's anarchism emphasizes the power of collective, rather than individualist, action.

The collection includes a revealing new introduction by journalist Nathan Schneider, who documented the Occupy movement for Harper's and The Nation, and who places Chomsky's ideas in the contemporary political moment. On Anarchism will be essential listening for a new generation of activists who are at the forefront of a resurgence of interest in anarchism—and for anyone who struggles with what can be done to create a more just world.

'Based on first-hand reporting from Syria and Washington, journalist Reese Erlich unravels the complex dynamics underlying the Syrian civil war. Through vivid, on-the-ground accounts and interviews with both rebel leaders and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Erlich gives the reader a better understanding of this momentous power struggle and why it matters. Through his many contacts inside Syria, the author reveals who is supporting Assad and why; he describes the agendas of the rebel factions; and he depicts in stark terms the dire plight of many ordinary Syrian people caught in the cross-fire. The book also provides insights into the role of the Kurds, the continuing influence of Iran, and the policies of US leaders who seem interested only in protecting US regional interests. As Erlich shows, current events in Syria can be best understood by looking at Syria's recent history, especially the roles of key historic figures. Several chapters are devoted to these influential leaders--including T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), journalist Lowell Thomas, Muslim brotherhood founder Hassan al Banna, Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, and Hafez al-Assad. Disturbing and enlightening at once, this timely book shows you not only what is happening inside Syria but why it is so important for the Middle East, the US, and the world'--

Imagine It Better features 18 provocative invitations from some of the most brilliant and creative minds in education today, including Tony Wagner, Andy Hargreaves, Noam Chomsky, and Linda Darling-Hammond, that focus on the present tense of school reform: what you can do to improve the instruction in your classroom and school today. Each essay tells a story of what can be-with the heartbeat of imagination and a fresh vision of possibilities.

'We need to return to the elemental questions, imagine how school can be-what we want it to create and what we believe it should do-and propose the most inspired and inspiring ways to achieve these ends,' writes essay editor Luke Reynolds. 'It is time for us to be refreshed by diving into what could be, and in order to do so, we must tell Scarcity and Status Quo that their time at the table of education is through.'

Get inspired by these 18 voices for authentic student growth, social equity, and transformation-and imagine school better.

L'opera in questione, è una raccolta di saggi, scritti dal filosofo americano nel corso degli ultimi anni. Una riflessione sul rapporto tra mezzi di comunicazione, potere e controllo sociale. Un'analisi critica sulle strategie di addomesticamento e massificazione dell'individuo. A partire da quelle che definisce 'Le 10 regole per il controllo sociale', Chomsky analizza storicamente e socialmente, le strategie che il potere, mette in atto per manipolare la società. Un piccolo libro introduttivo, verso quella che è, la complessa opera di Noam Chomsky.

In questo volume Noam Chomsky, uno dei principali protagonisti dell'evoluzione culturale di questo secolo, affronta tutti i temi a lui cari: il linguaggio, la mente, la democrazia, il consenso. Che lingua parla il potere? Come si è invertita la tendenza da lingua d'élite a lingua di massa? Incrociando l'analisi del linguaggio con le scelte politiche, Chomsky arriva a giudizi alternativi sul presente e si propone come coscienza critica del modello americano. La sua opera finisce così per occupare quel privilegiato spazio culturale, dove lo studio scientifico della lingua si congiunge con la migliore speculazione filosofica sulla natura del pensiero.

In questa raccolta - che antologizza oltre quarant'anni di lotte e di pensiero - è il rigore dell'analisi a trascinare sul banco degli imputati i 'padroni dell'umanità' e le idee che per decenni, anzi secoli, hanno giustificato lo sfruttamento capitalistico e le guerre, dal Vietnam al Nicaragua, dal Centro America alla Serbia e all'Iraq. Principali accusati restano gli Stati Uniti: un'economia ufficialmente liberista ma in realtà sovvenzionata dallo Stato, una visione 'messianica' del proprio ruolo nel mondo, una società dominata dalle multinazionali, la manipolazione dell'opinione pubblica per costruire un 'consenso senza consenso' e piegare le masse 'stupide' alla volontà di pochi 'illuminati', la deroga al principio di universalità che vorrebbe regole uguali per tutti nel diritto internazionale, l'indifferenza e anzi l'occultamento della catastrofe ambientale: sono questi per Chomsky gli elementi fondanti di un potere non solo statunitense ma globale, che agisce per assoggettare i popoli e fare gli interessi di pochi, con il consenso e il belletto intellettuale fornito dalle tecno-intellighenzie di turno. Questo universale richiamo morale è il fiume carsico di tutte le opere di Chomsky, una delle voci più autorevoli dei nostri tempi, in grado come pochissimi altri di pronunciare verità indocili e di indicare la strada di un vero cambiamento. Introduzione di Marcus Raskin.

EL NUEVO ORDEN MUNDIAL - CHOMSKY NOAM - Planeta

Parecomic is a graphic novel about the system we live in—what’s wrong with it, and how we might be able change it for the better. The recent upsurge in popular protest around the world shows that people are not happy with the state of capitalism and desire an alternative that will work for the 99%, not just the 1%. Parecon is one such alternative, and Parecomic brings this to life in illustrated form.

Parecomic is about Michael Albert—the visionary behind “participatory economics”—and his life’s struggle as a left-wing activist in the US, beginning with the heady days of 1960s student demos and lifestyle rebellions; following the developments of the antiwar, civil rights, woman’s, and Black Panthers movements; to the establishment of alternative media like South End Press and ZNet; and the development of the participatory economics model.

“There are two problems for our species’ survival—nuclear war and environmental catastrophe, ” says Noam Chomsky in this new book on the two existential threats of our time and their points of intersection since World War II.

While a nuclear strike would require action, environmental catastrophe is partially defined by willful inaction in response to human-induced climate change. Denial of the facts is only half the equation. Other contributing factors include extreme techniques for the extraction of remaining carbon deposits, the elimination of agricultural land for bio-fuel, the construction of dams, and the destruction of forests that are crucial for carbon sequestration.

On the subject of current nuclear tensions, Chomsky revisits the long-established option of a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) in the Middle East, a proposal set in motion through a joint Egyptian Iranian General Assembly resolution in 1974.

Intended as a warning, Nuclear War and Environmental Catastrophe is also a reminder that talking about the unspeakable can still be done with humor, with wit and indomitable spirit.

Scholars have long been captivated by the parallels between birdsong and human speechand language. In this book, leading scholars draw on the latest research to explore what birdsongcan tell us about the biology of human speech and language and the consequences for evolutionarybiology. They examine the cognitive and neural similarities between birdsong learning and speech andlanguage acquisition, considering vocal imitation, auditory learning, an early vocalization phase('babbling'), the structural properties of birdsong and human language, and the strikingsimilarities between the neural organization of learning and vocal production in birdsong and humanspeech. After outlining the basic issues involved in the study of both language and evolution, thecontributors compare birdsong and language in terms of acquisition, recursion, and core structuralproperties, and then examine the neurobiology of song and speech, genomic factors, and the emergenceand evolution of language.

ContributorsHermann Ackermann,Gabriël J. L. Beckers, Robert C. Berwick, Johan J. Bolhuis, Noam Chomsky, Frank Eisner, MartinEveraert, Michale S. Fee, Olga Fehér, Simon E. Fisher, W. Tecumseh Fitch, Jonathan B. Fritz, SharonM. H. Gobes, Riny Huijbregts, Eric Jarvis, Robert Lachlan, Ann Law, Michael A. Long, Gary F. Marcus,Carolyn McGettigan, Daniel Mietchen, Richard Mooney, Sanne Moorman, Kazuo Okanoya, ChristophePallier, Irene M. Pepperberg, Jonathan F. Prather, Franck Ramus, Eric Reuland, Constance Scharff,Sophie K. Scott, Neil Smith, Ofer Tchernichovski, Carel ten Cate, Christopher K. Thompson, FrankWijnen, Moira Yip, Wolfram Ziegler, Willem Zuidema

In questa serie di colloqui, l'ottantacinquenne linguista e politologo statunitense analizza il mondo contemporaneo e le tensioni che lo animano, denunciando i «sistemi di potere» - governi, organismi finanziari, multinazionali - che alimentano divisioni nella società allo scopo di assoggettare gli individui. A finire sotto il suo sguardo chirurgico non è solo il nuovo imperialismo americano, che perpetua persino sotto Obama strategie consolidate, ma anche il potere, più recente e oramai forse più invasivo, del capitale finanziario transnazionale, che ha scalzato quello legato all'industria e al commercio. È il potere delle multinazionali, della BCE e dei fautori dell'austerity, che impoverisce il ceto medio e tiene sotto scacco l'Europa. Sono questi «sistemi» a muovere una nuova guerra di classe contro i lavoratori e la società, una guerra che non può che essere «unilaterale». Al servizio del potere, oggi come sempre, la macchina della propaganda, che induce nuovi bisogni e crea sottomissione. «Il potere non si suicida», dice Chomsky, ma alcune forme di democrazia partecipata e di cittadinanza attiva emergono a contrastare la sua forza schiacciante: il movimento Occupy e gli indignados, la gestione operaia delle fabbriche, le rivolte della Primavera araba dimostrano che lottare per migliorare le cose è possibile. A patto di non sedersi davanti alla tv: Chomsky interviene qui, infatti, anche su questioni di politica culturale, facendo il bilancio della sua lunga attività di linguista e denunciando lo stato della cultura e dell'istruzione attraverso un'acuta critica ai libri

Nel 1971 due dei più influenti e noti intellettuali del XX secolo vengono invitati dal filosofo olandese Fons Elders a discutere di una vecchia questione: esiste, nella natura umana, un senso innato di giustizia indipendente dalle nostre esperienze e dalle influenze esterne? Il risultato è stato un dibattito tra i più originali e provocatori, un viaggio attraverso l'ambiguo rapporto tra morale e potere che serve anche da introduzione alle singole teorie dei due filosofi. Quello che in partenza era un discorso radicato nella linguistica (Chomsky) e nella teoria della conoscenza (Foucault) si evolve ben presto in una discussione sui più vasti argomenti, dalla scienza alla storia, dalla psicologia comportamentale alla libertà e alla lotta per la giustizia. Quella giustizia che, per Chomsky, aveva un fondamento reale, assoluto, profondamente radicato nella nostra natura e che, per Foucault, era solo uno strumento del potere.

A compelling new set of interviews on our changing and turbulent times with Noam Chomsky, one of the world's foremost thinkers

In this new collection of conversations, conducted from 2010 to 2012, Noam Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: the future of democracy in the Arab world, the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the European financial crisis, the breakdown of American mainstream political institutions, and the rise of the Occupy movement. As always, Chomsky presents his ideas vividly and accessibly, with uncompromising principle and clarifying insight.

The latest volume from a long-established, trusted partnership, this collection shows once again that no interlocutor engages with Chomsky more effectively than David Barsamian. These interviews will inspire a new generation of readers, as well as longtime Chomsky fans eager for his latest thinking on the many crises we now confront, both at home and abroad. They confirm that Chomsky is an unparalleled resource for anyone seeking to understand our world today.