The Social and Political Thought of Noam Chomsky questions Chomsky's claim not to have a theory about the relationship between human beings and their society other than that which 'can be written on the back of postage stamp'. Edgley compares Chomsky's vision of the good society with liberal communitarian perspectives, and establishes that it is grounded in a hopeful belief about human nature. She argues that sympathy with this vision of the good society is essential for understanding the nature of Chomsky's critique of state capitalism, its inherent nationalism and the media. The author concludes that Chomsky's analysis is coherent and systematic when one acknowledges that he is not just a critic but a theorist.
Author(s): Alison Edgley
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 224
Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 6
Copyright......Page 7
Dedication......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgements......Page 10
Introduction......Page 11
Notes......Page 19
Introduction......Page 21
Science or interpretation?......Page 22
Is and ought......Page 24
Structure and agency......Page 25
Relativism......Page 27
The paradox of liberalism......Page 29
Rationalism......Page 30
Re-describing reality......Page 33
Human nature......Page 34
Chomsky’s methodology......Page 37
Chomsky’s opposition to theory......Page 38
Naturalism......Page 41
Essentialism and the responsibility of intellectuals......Page 43
Human nature, agency and social structure......Page 44
Critique......Page 46
Notes......Page 47
2 The ‘good society’......Page 52
The libertarian socialist......Page 55
Equality and freedom: the libertarian socialist tradition......Page 57
The liberal position on justice......Page 63
The libertarian critique......Page 64
The communitarian critique......Page 66
The liberal conception of human nature and its critics......Page 67
Chomsky’s views on human nature......Page 73
Naturalism and human nature......Page 78
Reconciling the naturalistic individual and community......Page 80
Conclusion......Page 82
Notes......Page 84
Introduction......Page 88
State defined by function......Page 89
State autonomy......Page 90
The necessity of the state under capitalism......Page 91
Marx and Chomsky on the state......Page 93
The state and force......Page 97
The state and international relations......Page 98
Chomsky’s contribution to state theory......Page 100
Conclusion......Page 105
Notes......Page 108
4 State theory......Page 111
Theories of the state......Page 112
Chomsky on the state......Page 117
Something like a capital-logic?......Page 123
Conclusion......Page 128
Notes......Page 130
5 Nationalism......Page 133
Conditions for nationalism......Page 135
Dichotomies......Page 137
Problems......Page 139
Progressive versus reactionary nationalism......Page 141
Eastern versus western nationalism......Page 143
Ethnocentric versus polycentric nationalism......Page 144
Possible objections......Page 148
American nationalism......Page 151
Conclusion......Page 152
Notes......Page 154
6 Politics and the media......Page 157
Media theory......Page 158
Ownership and control: the propaganda model......Page 160
Structuralism in Chomsky......Page 164
The responsibility of intellectuals......Page 167
Chomsky’s content analysis......Page 168
Chomsky’s bias?......Page 173
Chomsky on effects and audiences......Page 175
Conclusion......Page 180
Notes......Page 181
Conclusion......Page 186
Notes......Page 193
Bibliography......Page 195
Index......Page 202
