Noam Chomsky: Enlightenment, Creativity, Romantic Rationalism, & Beauty (Interview)

This conversation is part of the 'Understanding Noam Chomsky' Series ('Dare to know!' Philosophy Podcast). Today we are joined by Noam Chomsky. Noam Chomsky has been called “the father of modern linguistics” and is one of the most cited scholars in modern history.

Chomsky has been a professor at MIT since 1955 (now Emeritus) and continues to teach at the University of Arizona at the age of 92. He has written over 100 books covering topics including linguistics, politics, and philosophy. Chomsky has not only transformed the field of linguistics, but his work also influenced fields such as cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, computer science, mathematics, childhood education, and anthropology.

In today’s discussion, we cover topics including Enlightenment, Creativity, Romantic Rationalism, the Science Forming Faculty, Beauty & much more.

PODCAST CHANNELS:

GUEST INFO:

HOST INFO:
Fabian Corver is the Host & Producer of the Dare to Know! Philosophy Podcast. Fabian earned a Master of Letters in Philosophy from University of Glasgow and a B.B.A. from Fontys University of Applied Sciences.

JOIN DISCORD (KANT & CHOMSKY READING GROUP):

OUTLINE:
0:00 - Introduction
1:01 - Cartesian Linguistics & Cartesian Commitments
12:28 - What is Enlightenment?
16:27 - Romantic Rationalism & Competence/Performance
29:32 - The Project of Social Science?
40:30 - Science Forming Faculty & Common Sense
53:04 - Language, Thought, Feelings, & Imagination
1:00:50 - Word-Like Elements, Meaning, & Evolution
1:10:17 - Justice & Beauty
1:14:24 - Orwell's Problem & The Universalizability Principle

[Daretoknow]

OUTLINE:
0:00 - Introduction
1:01 - Cartesian Linguistics & Cartesian Commitments
12:28 - What is Enlightenment?
16:27 - Romantic Rationalism & Competence/Performance
29:32 - The Project of Social Science?
40:30 - Science Forming Faculty & Common Sense
53:04 - Language, Thought, Feelings, & Imagination
1:00:50 - Word-Like Elements, Meaning, & Evolution
1:10:17 - Justice & Beauty
1:14:24 - Orwell's Problem & The Universalizability Principle

[neildana]

I really enjoyed this interview with Noam . It was different than the others . Huge vibe. Thank you🙏🏻

[waindayoungthain]

🙏🏼🤔, how many genres yell about right,
How orphaned you by your rights,
How’s your sacrifice that your real rights, if’s you
Have ever said that the human rights😞🙏🏼🇺🇳🌎.

[HomelessRomantic]

you're nodding too much, but you have an awesome channel, keep up the good work!

[optimalchoice]

It would be nice if the microphone volumes were more similar. Listening on ear buds is painful.

[filippfreedman]

Thank you and Prof. Chomsky. It's always a pleasure to listen to wise men having a thoughtful dialogue.

[robertosacco]

Great interview as always, thank you! It really adds to most of what he usually recaps in other discussions.
Here one can probably find the best clarification regarding competence and production.
Also, I think it is the first time he speculates (even if only briefly) on functional/logical words, but even more he reconsiders his assumptions on the origin of substance words. It would be really interesting to know more about what led him to rethink that, if you plan to have him on again soon.

[marybess]

I FEEL A GREAT DEBT TO CHOMSKY. HIS LIFE AND WORK HAVE ADDED IMMEASURABLY TO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. HE ENGAGES A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND MANAGES TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE, PLACING THEIR QUESTIONS INTO THE CONTEXT OF THE HISTORY OF IDEAS. I AM GRATEFUL HE IS LEAVING BEHIND THIS LEGACY FOR US TO STUDY GOING FORWARD.

[disct]

Each time I hear Noam speak I learn something new and my knowledge expands taking into account other pioneers and critical thinking.

[jorrendykstra]

Thank you Fabian, this has made my day.

[tenzingchonden]

can someone tell who he was talking about when he referred to the “third level of intelligence”

[waindayoungthain]

🙏🏼, if’s my senses to the sentences I have never mind about grammatical errors, how’s errors without senses into any problems and human behavior is my mind. It’s my wrongly with self opinion senses😞the struggle in wild rawness world 🌎, it’s my teardrop pouring when I try into there’ll ever been innocent and help lessen mine🙏🏼.

[johnsalmond]

One of the best Chomsky talks (language and philosophy - though he throws in a couple of political zingers, notably re bin Laden) on the 'net. He is still actively changing his way of explaining issues, and sometimes making them clearer for me. Informative, and heart-warming for admirers of the man!

[unciclistaenbuenosaires]

I was chilling hearing a JBP video while washing some things in the kitchen when suddenly this whole fucking video interupted as propaganda I coulndt change it till I was done with the cleaning.

[Oscar]

What's the name he says at 1:06:00? Lyla Lightman? I can't find her on google, anyone got a link?

[joeruf]

enjoyed it until the point he said that it was the task of "social scientists" to act like physicists

[verified]

The only useful ad I ever watched! Subscribed.

[mitchie]

Chomsky's fetishization of capitalism's "classical liberal" values & appeals to the US constitution & other bourgeois legal documents is consistent with his own work on behalf of the US military through MIT. Chomsky claims this simply doesn't exist, but it is a matter of fact. Chris Knight has detailed how Chomsky's early work was funded by the Pentagon. Chomsky claims the military "didn't care" about the research it funded & that the scientists who helped develop ARPA had didn't have "any military purpose." This is all false. He is a gatekeeper of the highest order. If Chomsky was so radical and dangerous he wouldn't be platformed as much as he is. Chomsky's more radical colleague, Edward S Herman was eventually run out of academia for his ideas.

[Max-xzkj]

7:59 husserl goddam it husserl wrote about it before Chomsky

[namansharma]

what name prof uses @56:28 for imagination answer?