On Language: Chomsky's Classic Works "Language and Responsibility" and "Reflections on Language" in One Volume (Paperback)

by Noam Chomsky (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Language and Responsibility is a well-organized, clearly written, and comprehensive introduction to Chomsky's thought. -- The New York Times Book Review

Reflections on Language is profoundly satisfying and impressive. It is the clearest and most developed account of [Chomsky's] case. -- Patrick Flanagan

Language and Responsibility (1979) is a well-organized, clearly written, and comprehensive introduction to Chomsky's thought. -- New York Times Book Review

Reflections on Language (1975) is profoundly satisfying and impressive. It is the clearest and most developed account of [Chomsky's] case. -- Patrick Flanagan

The clarity of presentation at times approaches that of Bertrand Russell in his political and more popular philosophical essays. -- Contemporary Psychology

Product Description
Two of Chomsky's most famous and accessible works, back in print in one affordable, attractive volume. Restoring to print two of Chomsky's most famous and popular books in one omnibus volume, On Language features some of the noted linguist and political critic's most informal and highly accessible work, making it an ideal introduction to his thought. In Part I ("Language and Responsibility") Chomsky presents a fascinating self-portrait of his political, moral, and linguistic thinking. In Part II ("Reflections on Language") Chomsky explores the more general implications of the study of language and offers incisive analyses of the controversies among psychologists, philosophers, and linguists over fundamental questions of language.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: New Press (September 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565844750
• ISBN-13: 978-1565844759
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,907 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two Classics, March 20, 2006

By	Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Noam Chomsky is a renowned linguist who has taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1955. He developed a theory of transformation grammar which has changed the study of language. He is also very active in politics and has several books on a variety of political issues. "On Language" contains two of Chomsky's classic works, "Language and Responsibility", and "Reflections on Language", and while these books deal mainly with Linguistics, there are a couple of sections which cover his political thought.

"Language and Responsibility" was first published in 1977 in France and 1979 in the U.S., and it is a conversation between Chomsky and Mitsou Ronat, the French transformationalist. While the conversation opens with politics, the greater portion of this book is about Generative Grammar.

"Reflections on Language" was first published in 1975 and is an important work in the field of Linguistics. The section titled "Problems and Mysteries in the Study of Human Language" covers interesting aspects such as the philosophy of language and the acquisition of language. Chomsky also spends some time discussing other Linguistic works and where he agrees and disagrees with them.

This book would not make a good choice for someone unfamiliar with Linguistics. However, the "Language and Responsibility" section does serve as an excellent introduction to Chomsky and his thoughts. While one may not agree with all of his political positions, Chomsky does provide some excellent points and forces the reader to re-examine their own position. His Linguistic theories are important to any study of the subject, and "Reflections on Language" is probably the best way to learn about his position.