The
epoch-making theories of linguist Noam Chomsky
maintain that the human brain has an innate
language faculty, and that part of this biological
endowment is a “universal grammar”,
a theory of principles common to all languages.
Thus, all human languages and the ways in
which children learn them are remarkably similar.
Chomsky’s book Syntactic Structures was
a turning-point in 20th-century linguistics,
challenging assumptions in many areas such
as philosophy, psychology and intellectual
history. Heir to the Enlightenment tradition,
Chomsky has introduced new perspectives on
language, the creative individual and the
nature of human freedom in society.
Introducing
Chomsky traces Chomsky’s understanding
of the cognitive realities involved in the
use of language, and the technical apparatus
needed to represent it. The book also describes
Chomsky’s radical critique of the institutions
of power and the pathways of oppression, and
his commitment to freedom and justice.
***
John
Maher is Professor of Linguistics at the International
Christian University in Tokyo.
Judy
Groves is a painter, illustrator and designer
who has worked on numerous Introducing titles.
