Author:Noam Chomsky, Michel Foucault Binding: Paperback ISBN: 1595581340 Availability:
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Two of the twentieth century's most influential thinkers debate a perennial question. In 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War and at a time of great political and social instability, two of the world's leading intellectuals, Noam Chomsky and Michel Foucault, were invited by Dutch philosopher Fons Edlers to debate an age-old question: is there such a thing as "innate" human nature independent of our experiences and external influences? The resulting dialogue is one of the most original, provocative, and spontaneous exchanges to have occurred between contemporary philosophers, and above all serves as a concise introduction to their basic theories. What begins as a philosophical argument rooted in linguistics (Chomsky) and the theory of knowledge (Foucault), soon evolves into a broader discussion encompassing a wide range of topics, from science, history, and behaviorism to creativity, freedom, and the struggle for justice in the realm of politics. In addition to the debate itself, this volume features a newly written introduction by noted Foucault scholar John Rajchman and includes additional text by Noam Chomsky.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Good Stuff:
I wish there were more such confrontations between thinkers of Foucault and Chomsky's stature. Regardless of whom you favor, at least they managed to wrangle over serious issues, such as whether there is an absolute justice and whether we share an independent human nature or essence. In this exchange, Foucault seems to undercut Chomsky repeatedly, first moving Chomsky to concede that issues of injustice and oppression would occur even in conditions of relative anarchy, and then pinning Chomsky to a notion... more info
"libidinous power...":
Regarding the so-called "power conspiracy" theories--which Chomsky has refuted several times, both in print and in lectures--proponents of those theories argue not, e.g., that there are meetings between the Board of Directors of Exxon-Mobil and their major stockholders--of which there certainly are. No. Conspiracy theorists argue the case for some grand, overarching subterfuge. That is, e.g., monthly meetings between the CEOs of the New York Times, the Washington Post, et. al., Exxon-Mobil and the... more info
Highly recommended, and a welcome contribution to library philosophy shelves.:
The Chomsky-Foucault Debate On Human Nature collects and presents an integral debate held between two of the world's top intellectuals, Noam Chomsky and Michel Foucault, held in 1971 (during the height of the Vietnam War) to wrestle with the ancient question: Is there such a thing as "innate" human nature independent of our experiences and external influences? In addition to reproducing the debate verbatim, The Chomsky-Foucault Debate On Human Nature includes later writings by each speaker: "Politics"... more info
What a find!:
I didn't know about this debate between these two on this subject--what a find! I am reading it now, and a line of friends are waiting for their turn.
