Lannan Foundation

Noam Chomsky, who has said, “If we do not believe in freedom of speech for those we despise we do not believe in it at all,” was born in 1928 in Philadelphia. After receiving his doctorate in linguistics, Chomsky began teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

It was during this time that he became more publicly engaged in politics arguing against American involvement in the Vietnam War. Since then, he has been well known for his progressive political views, and has written and lectured widely on linguistics, philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary issues, international affairs, and U.S. foreign policy.

Chomsky has published leagues of work including Peace in the Middle East? Reflections on Justice and Nationhood; Towards a New Cold War: Essays on the Current Crisis and How We GotThere; and Pirates and Emperors, Old and New: International Terrorism in the Real World.

The New York Times Book Review says, “Judged in terms of the power, range, novelty, and influence of his thought, Noam Chomsky is arguably the most important intellectual alive.”