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In the beginning...
Noam Chomsky is an American theoretical linguist. He postulated that language is a uniquely human, biologically based, cognitive capacity. Beginning in the 1950's, his work forever changed the field of linguistics. Because of Chomsky, the world was witness to the Cognitive Revolution. McGilvray, James A. “Noam Chomsky.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 3 Dec. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Noam-Chomsky. -
Chomsky's politics
According to McGilvray, Chomsky's political opinions were this: "that all people are capable of comprehending political and economic issues and making their own decisions on that basis; that all people need and derive satisfaction from acting freely and creatively and from associating with others; and that authority—whether political, economic, or religious—that cannot meet a strong test of rational justification is illegitimate." Held next to the scientific community, he is on to something. -
Chomsky's Main Idea
Chomsky held that the human mind at birth is not a blank slate, but rather already has the basic principles of language and how to use it. Chomsky believes that in children, language is built upon the linguistic foundation innately in the mind by the child's linguistic environment. Chomsky thinks that the use of language is based on a creative principle instead of a causal one. McGilvray -
The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory (LSLT)
The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory (LSLT) was one of Chomsky's Master's thesis when he was a junior fellow at Harvard. This was published in part in 1975. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NRaBT077Q0 Chomsky, Noam. The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory, Harvard University, 1955. -
Why Chomsky is important to science
Linguistics is a window into the mind. Chomsky's work in linguistics and his stance that the human mind has the innate foundation of language changed the way scientists study the human mind. Chomsky's thesis prompted the linguistic paradigm shift from behaviorism to the theory of Universal Grammar.
Mouma, Lilia. “Who Is Noam Chomsky, and What Is His Contribution to Linguistics?” Mango Languages, 26 Oct. 2022, mangolanguages.com/resources-articles/noam-chomsky-his-contribution-to-linguistics/.