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Noam Chomsky Teaches a MasterClass on Critical Thinking & Media Literacy

in Online Courses | July 21st, 2023 Leave a Comment

“We now have to decide with­in a cou­ple of decades whether the human exper­i­ment is going to con­tin­ue or whether it’ll go down in glo­ri­ous dis­as­ter,” says Noam Chom­sky in a new inter­view on econ­o­mist Tyler Cowen’s pod­cast Con­ver­sa­tions with Tyler . “That’s what we’re fac­ing. We know answers, at least pos­si­ble answers to all of the prob­lems that face us. We’re not pur­su­ing them.” This came in response to one of Cowen’s stan­dard ques­tions, about the guest’s “pro­duc­tion func­tion”: that is, the meth­ods or sys­tems the guest uses to remain pro­duc­tive in their work. Such a line of inquiry is espe­cial­ly per­ti­nent in Chom­sky’s case, giv­en the famous­ly intense work sched­ule he main­tains as a pub­lic intel­lec­tu­al at the age of 94.

Recent­ly, that sched­ule has also involved shoot­ing a Mas­ter­class on I nde­pen­dent Think­ing and the Medi­a’s Invis­i­ble Pow­ers , whose trail­er appears above. In the course\ , Chom­sky “explores the dark side of media,” teach­ing us “to cut through pro­pa­gan­da, defend against manip­u­la­tion, and con­trol what you con­sume.”

Pro­pa­gan­da, manip­u­la­tion, and con­sump­tion are major themes of his work (one for­gets that he first became well-known as a lin­guist ), and he became pop­u­lar­ly asso­ci­at­ed with them thanks in large part to Man­u­fac­tur­ing Con­sent , the 1988 book he co-wrote with Edward S. Her­man. Of course, the media land­scape looked quite dif­fer­ent 35 years ago, and this Mas­ter­class — a class of prod­uct scarce­ly imag­in­able back then — offers him an oppor­tu­ni­ty to bring his views into the twen­ty-twen­ties.

“Social media tends to dri­ve peo­ple into self-rein­forc­ing bub­bles,” Chom­sky says in the trail­er. “It’s dri­ving peo­ple even to more extreme views.” This is the kind of lament one now hears aired three or four times before break­fast, but sel­dom from a fig­ure who’s been the­o­riz­ing about the under­ly­ing forces as long as Chom­sky has. Social media may offer an avenue of free­dom from the stan­dard suite of top-down main­stream nar­ra­tives, but it may also con­sti­tute just anoth­er “pow­er sys­tem,” which by its very nature seeks only “con­trol and dom­i­na­tion.” Encour­ag­ing the habits of crit­i­cal think­ing need­ed to resist such con­trol and dom­i­na­tion has long been essen­tial to Chom­sky’s project. And the stakes of that project, as he’ll sure­ly nev­er stop seek­ing plat­forms from which to tell the world, could hard­ly be high­er. Explore Noam Chom­sky Teach­es I nde­pen­dent Think­ing and the Medi­a’s Invis­i­ble Pow­ers here .

Note: If you sign up for a Mas­ter­Class course by click­ing on the links in this post, Open Cul­ture will receive a small fee that helps sup­port our oper­a­tion.

Relat­ed con­tent:

An Ani­mat­ed Intro­duc­tion to Noam Chomsky’s Ground­break­ing Lin­guis­tic The­o­ries

Noam Chom­sky Defines What It Means to Be a Tru­ly Edu­cat­ed Per­son

Noam Chom­sky on Chat­G­PT: It’s “Basi­cal­ly High-Tech Pla­gia­rism” and “a Way of Avoid­ing Learn­ing”

Noam Chom­sky Explains the Best Way for Ordi­nary Peo­ple to Make Change in the World, Even When It Seems Daunt­ing

An Ani­mat­ed Intro­duc­tion to Noam Chomsky’s Man­u­fac­tur­ing Con­sent and How the Media Cre­ates the Illu­sion of Democ­ra­cy

When Rage Against the Machine Inter­viewed Noam Chom­sky (1999)

Based in Seoul,  Col­in M a rshall  writes and broad­cas ts on cities, lan­guage, and cul­ture. His projects include the Sub­stack newslet­ter   Books on Cities ,  the book  The State­less City: a Walk through 21st-Cen­tu­ry Los Ange­les  and the video series  The City in Cin­e­ma . Fol­low him on Twit­ter at  @colinm a rshall  or on  Face­book .

by Colin Marshall | Permalink | Comments (0) |

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Honest Reviews of MasterClass and Other Courses

Noam Chomsky MasterClass Review: Is It Worth It?

Last Updated On: 11 December 2023 | Written by: Sophie Howard Just a heads up, whenever possible, I use affiliate links in my reviews to help cover the costs of running this site.

Fake news, misinformation, and propaganda—these are the defining words of today’s news outlets.

A few months ago, rumors about Disney removing age restrictions for alcohol consumption took online platforms by storm. It even reached mainstream news. This incident highlights how easily people can fall victim to falsehoods.

The problem is that media power extends beyond viral controversies. It can shape the public’s opinion on heavier matters, such as war. That’s why individuals need to separate truth from propaganda.

This is where Noam Chomsky’s course comes into play. In Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass review, we’ll explore critical topics like media manipulation, activism, and more. So, keep reading for all the details!

Noam Chomsky MasterClass Summary

• What you’ll learn: In  Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass , you’ll learn many valuable insights. These include critical thinking skills, identifying misinformation, and the role of activism. The course even delves into linguistics, social media, and artificial intelligence.
• Runtime:  This course is concise yet informative. It has a running time of only 41 minutes, including a bonus clip.
• Recommendation:  9/10. Despite its controversial subject, Chomsky’s MasterClass offers a digestible journey into critical thinking and media analysis. It empowers you to navigate a world of carefully crafted messages and shape your perception.

Quick Q&A

Before I delve into this subject, here’s a brief Q&A, giving you an overview of how to access this course:

Yes, like all MasterClass courses, you need to pay for a subscription to access this course. You can choose from several annual plans, all of which allow you to access other classes on the platform.

Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass is only 41 minutes long, divided into several videos. So, it’s not your regular one-hour academic-style lecture. It consists of short clips, ranging from 5 to 15 minutes, making it easily manageable to complete.

Yes, you can cancel the MasterClass subscription anytime. All you need to do is go to your account page, choose settings, and follow the prompts to cancel. Once you’re done, MasterClass won’t renew your membership. If you cancel within 30 days of registering, you can  request a refund , as they have a money-back guarantee policy!

Yes, the Noam Chomsky Masterclass is worth it. If you want to gain insights into critical thinking and filtering misinformation, this course can be an excellent resource. That’s especially true for those who use social media platforms to get little sound bites of what’s happening in the world.

About Noam Chomsky

Avram Noam Chomsky, named the most important intellectual alive by the New York Times, is a prolific scholar.

Since his career in academia in the 1950s, Noam Chomsky has written over 150 books. He’s a renowned linguist, revolutionizing the field through his theories, such as the  Chomsky hierarchy . 

Aside from the language sector, Chomsky’s theory has applications in other areas, like computer science.

Although he has contributed significantly to linguistics, the American professor’s work extends beyond that.

Chomsky has influenced other fields like philosophy, psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, and more! What sets him apart is his political commentary and open criticism of American power.

The professor is an outspoken critic of media manipulation. He sheds light on its role in brainwashing the public and pushing propaganda. His contributions to this topic began in the 1960s.

However, Chomsky’s insights about media control  extend back to Woodrow Wilson’s days.  The American president was elected in the middle of World War I. At the time, most of the population was pacifist.

Shockingly, that wasn’t the case with the Wilson administration. They were pro-war. To get everyone on board, the government set up a propaganda commission. And in just six months, they managed to turn the people into raving, anti-German groups.

What Does Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass Promise?

Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass promises an in-depth exploration of critical topics like media, misinformation, and activism. Through the course, you can expect to learn about these skills:

• Critical thinking: The lessons equip you with tools to dissect news, challenge mainstream narratives, and develop your perspective on complex issues.
• Understand misinformation:  Chomsky delves into the world of misinformation and its impact on society. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms used to create propaganda.
• Activism:  The course uncovers the role of activism in creating positive change. Chomsky’s journey will inspire you to invest your knowledge in empowering others and moving toward a better society.
• Linguistics:  For language enthusiasts, Noam’s bonus module on linguistics helps you understand the language’s role in challenging power structures.

How Much Does Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass Cost?

As you might know, MasterClass doesn’t offer a single-course membership. You need to subscribe to an annual plan, between $120 and $240, to access Noam Chomsky’s course.

The good news is that you have several packages to choose from, depending on your budget.

The Individual plan is the most affordable package, costing $10 per month, which is billed annually. It sounds great. However, you only get one account for one device.

Pricier plans, like the Duo plan, cost $15 per month or $180 annually. As for the Family plan, it’s $240 per year, which is $20 monthly.

The only difference between these packages is that you can connect your account to two devices in the Duo plan, while the Family plan offers six.

Regardless of your choice, all packages offer access to 180 classes across multiple categories. You also get bonus content and can download lessons for offline viewing.

I find it a great deal since you can watch similar content, like the  Neil deGrasse Tyson MasterClass on Scientific Thinking and Communication , with the same membership.

What Is Included in Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass?

Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass is concise. It consists of short video lessons, including a bonus clip. The course also provides community access.

Here’s an explanation of each component:

Video Lessons

The classes in Noam Chomsky’s course offer an exploration of hefty topics. You’ll find five sessions covering crucial subjects like media as a weapon to spread propaganda.

The American linguist also talks about the mechanisms used to create these false narratives and how to cut through them. Additionally, he touches on other topics, like AI.

What I found striking was the presentation. The videos are a series of short interviews, making them engaging.

Community Access

Like any MasterClass course, you can join a community of learners enrolled in Noam Chomsky’s classes. You can connect with fellow students, discuss session materials, and exchange ideas.

About the Structure of the Class

Despite the subject’s complexity, Chomsky’s Independent Thinking and Media’s Invisible Powers offers a simple exploration of this topic.

It consists of five videos discussing media misinformation, filtering the news, activism, and more! Let’s discuss this critical thinking course in further detail!

1. Meet the Instructor: Noam Chomsky

Like any  MasterClass  session, the first portion begins with introducing the instructor.

The five-minute video starts on an intense note, with Noam Chomsky remembering his days as a counselor at a summer camp in 1945. The news of the Hiroshima bombing was revealed.

Despite the shocking announcement, life around him continued, which left the American linguist appalled.

As you can see, these few minutes into the lecture help you understand the instructor’s character and views.

Aside from linguistics, Chomsky is a thought leader in understanding the influence of media and mainstream narratives to push certain ideologies.

Such views trace back to the 1960s. The American intellectual believes in empowering people to think for themselves instead of being told what to think.

As media platforms increasingly become echo chambers, having these critical thinking skills becomes indispensable. That’s because it’ll help you unveil propaganda.

According to Chomsky, several challenges  threaten human survival , from the pandemic to the reckless acts of leaders.

Figuring out the truth and having that curious but critical-thinking mind will help us overcome these problems. And no one is better to teach those skills than Noam Chomsky!

2. New Media: Information and Misinformation

In the ever-evolving landscape of media, you can see that the platforms we engage with today are different from those in the past. The American professor recognizes this change.

In this lesson, Noam Chomsky discusses social media, like Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter (X), as rising news outlets.

These sources play a significant role in shaping public perception. Such tools can be dangerous. That’s because they contribute to censorship. Algorithms guide the content we see, amplifying select voices.

The problem is that these companies are tools to spread out-of-context narratives. They act as catalysts, polarizing opinions.

What adds fuel to the fire is that celebrities can misuse these platforms to push an agenda.

Such media personalities, often with no subject-matter expertise, have significant influence. They present a false image with great confidence to silence a certain party—all for profit. And the misinformation doesn’t stop there.

Chomsky talks about the decline of traditional journalism, with many local publications, like the Boston Globe, having gotten smaller or shut down completely.

Even well-established newspapers, like The New York Times, don’t take long to read. That’s because they contain opinion pieces. The column writers don’t have a deep understanding of the issue.

Instead of accepting media views at face value, Chomsky’s MasterClass provides insights to help you think for yourself.

3. Manufacturing Consent: The Control We Can’t See

From the above, you can see that media outlets have a major influence on public perception, and they can be misleading.

That became clear to the American linguist in the 1960s, when he wrote some of his most influential pieces. His work discussed the connection between media and governments, which gained a lot of attention.

It wasn’t until 1988 that Noam wrote Manufacturing Consent: The Control We Can’t See, one of his most influential books in the field of social science.

This book sheds light on how mass media serves as a powerful ideological institution, shaping our understanding of the world. In just under 12 minutes, the influential public intellectual discusses the five filters the media use to spread propaganda.

So, it’s high-level. However, understanding this theory will help you think more critically about the information you consume.

Here’s an explanation of each element:

1. Ownership

Media outlets are part of larger corporations. They’re driven by profit. For that reason, they cater to the financial interests of their owners.

This dependency can lead to editorial bias and a focus on stories that align with the investor’s preferences.

Additionally, since the primary goal of these outlets is profit, they may only push news that generates the highest revenue. That means critical journalism isn’t a priority.

2. Advertising

Running a news outlet costs a sizable amount—even more than what consumers pay. So, how does the media ensure profitability? As you might have guessed, through advertisement.

A large portion of these companies’  revenue comes from advertisers . That’s especially true if they have a large audience.

The problem is that this dependence can influence the content and narrative of news.

3. The Media Elite

To reduce information acquisition costs, media outlets can follow an exclusionary system.

Governments, large corporations, and institutions gain special access to the news gates, providing them with routine stories.

That pushes the media to favor these power structures. As a result, non-routine sources may struggle to get proper coverage.

Flak is the fourth filter in Chomsky’s theory. For those wondering, the term refers to the negative responses the media receives. These can be in the form of comments, complaints, letters, and lawsuits.

Of course, that affects these companies’ revenue. To avoid the hassle, they may stop reporting about content that’ll cause flak.

5. The Common Enemy

To control the public’s opinion, media outlets need to market an enemy. In the 1988 publication, anti-communism was the bogeyman.

However, Chomsky currently argues that the media’s control mechanism shifted to the “war on terror.” Understanding their narrative will help you evaluate the news and detect misinformation.

4. Turning Truth Into Activism

Thinking independently and cutting through propaganda isn’t enough to change the world. Noam Chomsky emphasizes the importance of being proactive and working for a better future.

That’s what the instructor recognized during the Vietnam War. In this lesson, he reflects on his activism days, where he challenged the prevailing narrative.

At the time, people believed that the US entered the conflict with good intentions. However, he highlighted that it was a destructive war against South Vietnam.

While you can’t break through the mass media’s propaganda alone, Chomsky believes that activism in the 1960s helped change the public’s perception of war over the years.

That’s why the American linguist supports collective action to drive social and political change. That’s especially true if it’s led by the youth.

Chomsky suggests that empowering people to develop informed opinions within their communities will help address systemic issues.

Interestingly, Noam calls for listening to young voices. I’m not sure what he thinks of the current youth activists, like Greta Thunberg, though.

Still, his message is clear: we don’t need to speak truth to power structures; they know it. Instead, you should empower those who lack a voice to think for themselves.

5. Bonus: Challenging the Status Quo: Noam Linguistics

In this bonus six-minute clip, Noam Chomsky discusses his groundbreaking work in linguistics. Language is a distinct human trait that enables us to convey thoughts.

Chomsky believes you can tell a great deal about the human mind through the structure of language. He talks about the role of this unique trait in shaping societies and challenging power structures.

As he comments on AI, Chomsky recognizes its potential for constructive use. However, he warns about its potential harm, such as using it for deception or creating dishonest content.

Key Things I Learned

Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass offers a unique perspective on media, critical thinking, and activism.

While he doesn’t teach you how to think about particular types of journalism, the American linguist provides you with fundamental principles to help you think for yourself.

The course taught me to stop and filter information before consuming it. It helped me realize that modern media outlets, like social media, mailboxes, and so on, have changed how we perceive the news. Nowadays, it’s about sound bites, which can easily be taken out of context.

Even daily news personalities aren’t knowledgeable about the subjects they discuss. And with the decline of public intellectuals, people can mistake overconfident individuals for experts.

So, instead of taking their words as facts, you should opt for a more critical approach when assessing information.

Below are a few key learnings that stood out during the MasterClass

Here are some of the lessons that stood out to me:

• Cut through propaganda: Noam teaches you independent thinking by asking questions like: where is this information coming from? How is it presented? What are the media hiding?
• Understanding media manipulation:  The five filters affecting news reporting were eye-opening. Chomsky sheds light on the mechanisms used to spread propaganda. Understanding these concepts helps detect misinformation.

Things I Liked About Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass

I find the entire course to be great and informative. However, what stood out the most was its masterful presentation.

Despite being a hefty topic, the MasterClass was engaging. The lessons are all under 15 minutes. So, you can finish this course in an hour.

Aside from following a conversational style, the videos include little flashback clips from Noam’s early work. 

This transition adds depth to the subject, helping you understand the professor’s career. It provides insights into why he helps people develop intellectual self-defense against mainstream manipulation.

Chomsky’s way with words and concise language was the cherry on top of the cake. While the topic is complex, the presentation is simple, making the content digestible.

My Favorite Quotes From Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass

Noam Chomsky is one of the most cited intellectuals in the world. So, it’s no surprise that his MasterClass is packed with many insightful quotes. These include:

• “Science has made significant advances, and activists have opened up new vistas. But challenges which have never arisen in human history are now facing us.”
• “If I can teach people to think through issues for themselves, not the way they’re taught to conform, that’s the best legacy I can imagine.”
• “Control and domination—that’s the goal of all power systems. They can be resisted—and should be.”
• “Social media tends to drive people into self-reinforcing bubbles. It’s driving people even to more extreme views.”
• “For every serious problem we face, there are feasible answers.”

Things I Didn’t Like About Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass

While there isn’t much to dislike about Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass, it still has some shortcomings. One notable drawback is its short running time.

Sure, the videos are concise, and the dialogue-style format makes them easy to understand.

Still, the topics are complex. Plus, Chomsky’s extensive expertise leaves you yearning for a more in-depth explanation. Breaking down each lesson into a series of short clips could provide a deeper understanding.

Additionally, the classes lack hands-on exercises. Providing such activities could enhance the learning experience, as it allows students to apply what they learned to real-life problems.

Does the Class Keep Its Promises?

Yes, Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass delivers on its promises. It provides valuable insights into critical topics, like media manipulation and activism. It also touches on the power of AI.

The American linguists’ expertise shines through, encouraging the learners to seek independent thought and action, which I think is a healthy thing to do.

Is Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass Worth the Money?

Yes if you…

• Want to learn from an iconic intellectualWant to foster critical thinking, especially in the age of social mediaAre intimidated or excited by AI and its powerPrefer a conversational and concise teaching approach

No if you…

• Prefer longer, academic-style lessonsWant a prescriptive teaching method, expecting to be told what’s good journalism or publications

Wrapping Up

As you can see, Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass is a valuable resource for anyone interested in developing critical thinking skills. That’s especially true in the age of social media and AI.

This course is suitable for those who read the news and engage in online platforms. It’ll help them learn how to filter what they consume and have independent thoughts. I believe it’s one of those essential meta-skills that’ll set you up to have a more successful life.

It’s digestible and engaging, making it worth your time and investment. So, enroll in the course and get started on this journey of independent thinking and critical analysis!

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Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass Review: From Language to Change and Back

One of the most cited living scholars explores the relationship between information, media, and activism in his MasterClass. In this review, we'll try to help you figure out whether it is a good use of your time.

• By Kazuhiro Budiono
• Oct 20, 2023

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Noam Chomsky teaches Independent Thinking and Media's Invisible Powers: Our Verdict (2023)

COURSE Rating

I would recommend Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass to anyone interested in linguistics, information, media, and activism. The dialogue-style presentation makes it easy for different types of learners to immerse themselves in the course. While the course is relatively short in duration, this is helpful in that it helps distill Chomsky’s expertise into a more digestible format than what we normally get from this leading intellectual.

Learn from an iconic intellectual

Relevant and concise approach to teaching, bite-sized lessons for better retention, clear and easy-to-follow explanations, fostering critical thinking, short course duration.

• Teaching style not suitable for all
• Lack of structured learning path
• No hands-on exercises

Noam Chomsky, a towering figure in linguistics, philosophy, and political theory, is renowned for his groundbreaking work across various academic disciplines. At first, I hesitated to tackle his MasterClass – a venture into the mind of an intellectual heavyweight. However, given the current relevance of what the course promised to teach – “ Independent Thinking and Media’s Invisible Powers ” – made the course irresistible to me.

Our modern age is flooded with media, and how it influences us is not always clear. In this review, we’ll dive into the course’s content, from Chomsky’s insights on new media and “manufacturing consent” to the imperative of turning truth into activism. Moreover, we’ll explore how Chomsky’s linguistic expertise unveils the intricate link between language and power. We’ll look into how well it does in fostering critical thinking and providing takeaways for navigating today’s information-saturated world.

Table of Contents

About noam chomsky.

Avram Noam Chomsky , holding the distinguished title of laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and institute professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is best known for his profound influence on linguistics, philosophy of language, and political science.

Chomsky’s list of achievements is extensive, encompassing over 150 books and countless articles, making him one of the most cited scholars ever. He is most prominently known for his pioneering work in linguistics, particularly his development of the transformational-generative grammar theory and the concept of universal grammar , which has redefined the study of language acquisition and usage.

His many accolades include the prestigious Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences, the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Sciences, to name a few. More recently, he was awarded the U.S. Peace Prize and the Sydney Peace Prize in 2011 and the Seán MacBride Peace Prize in 2015.

What elevates Chomsky to an iconic status is his steadfast dedication to challenging established norms and advocating for independent thinking. His scrutiny of media, power structures, and the political landscape offers a thought-provoking perspective. 

Inside Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass

With 5 lessons to explore, Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass spans approximately 45 minutes in total length, among the shortest of the courses on the platform, with individual lessons varying from 4 – 13 minutes each.

The course is structured into four main sections:

Information and misinformation in new media

The invisible control of media, truth into activism, linguistics and humanity.

Now let’s take a look at what the Noam Chomsky MasterClass has to offer.

In this lesson, Noam Chomsky is interviewed by Jules Terpak and shares some thoughts on media consumption. He points out the importance of assessing the credibility of news sources, highlighting the shift from objective reporting to opinion-based content, notably observed in the mainstream legacy media and exaggerated in social media. Local media’s decline has also limited the variety of perspectives available.

Chomsky warns about the pitfalls of obtaining news through platforms like Facebook and other social media, which are not news organizations and where filtered (mis)information can distort one’s understanding of the world. He stresses the dangers of echo chambers, which reinforce existing views and polarize society. Furthermore, Chomsky cautions against soundbites and short-form media, which oversimplify complex issues, hindering a profound understanding of how things work or what’s happening in the world.

These points should not be news to anyone but underline the significance of media literacy, critical thinking, and the need for diverse information sources.

In his book Manufacturing Consent , Noam Chomsky showed how he believed that the public was manipulated by the media. In this lesson, he gives an overview of his main ideas on the topic.

Five filters drive this manipulation:

• Ownership: Reveals that media outlets are often controlled by corporations with their interests
• Advertising: Commercial media’s reliance on advertising can compromise its independence
• Sourcing: Powerful sources, like government and business, influence media content
• Flak: Represents the backlash from those who disapprove of media content
• Ideology: Media can reinforce society’s dominant ideology, serving those in power

Chomsky argues these filters collectively engineer a media landscape that manufactures consent for the benefit of elites and powerful institutions. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for anyone seeking to comprehend the intricacies of media control and its implications for society.

For Chomsky, teachings go beyond analysis; they champion the idea of transforming truth into action. His message is that understanding media manipulation and societal injustices is just the beginning. He urges individuals to use their knowledge as a catalyst for change.

In fact, Chomsky believes that informed citizens have the power to challenge the status quo and address inequalities. The essence of his message is clear: knowledge alone is insufficient; it must drive action.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll have some awareness of media dynamics and power structures and how to translate them into activism. It serves as a respectful call to action, encouraging learners to harness their understanding and turn it into a positive force for change.

The Chomskyan linguistics proposes that language is innate to humans. He asserts the existence of a universal grammar hardwired into the human brain, consisting of a set of rules and structures forming the foundation of all languages.

As Chomsky sees it, “we can enable others, who have access to our minds, to know their inner workings.” This challenges the conventional idea, or the behaviorist view , which suggests that language acquisition is solely a product of environmental exposure. 

My experience of Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass

Overall, I found Noam Chomsky’s MasterClass a useful experience. If you haven’t been exposed to his insights on information, media, truth, activism, language, and humanity, the course provides concise versions of Chomsky’s theories.

Personally, I perceived a paradox within Chomsky’s MasterClass. On the one hand, he warns about the dangers of misinformation and the oversimplification of soundbites, emphasizing the need to diversify information sources for a better understanding of the world. On the other hand, Chomsky’s MasterClass is itself presented in a short-form style, raising questions about whether he yielded to the power dynamics of MasterClass and how they prefer to format their online courses or if it was his own choice to deliver his content in such a condensed format. What surprises me is that it’s even shorter than any other MasterClass I have taken.

What I liked about the Noam Chomsky MasterClass

Noam Chomsky is one of the most cited professors of all time. That, by itself, says a lot. But it’s his incredible contributions in various disciplines that earn him the iconic status. Chomsky’s vast knowledge and insights into linguistics, media, and activism provide an invaluable learning experience for those interested in these subjects. It’s a special opportunity to gain insights from someone who has been researching these topics for most of his career.

The content of Chomsky’s MasterClass is thoughtfully curated, focusing on essential concepts and avoiding unnecessary complexity. It’s presented as a dialogue between Chomsky and an interlocuter, which showcases his ability to distill complex topics into understandable and relevant lessons on the go. These ensure that learners can grasp the core ideas without feeling overwhelmed.

The short duration offers a series of bite-sized lessons, which are effective for knowledge retention. These short segments allow learners to absorb the material at their own pace and revisit specific topics easily.

Chomsky’s teaching style is characterized by clear and easy-to-follow explanations. He breaks down intricate subjects in a manner that is accessible to learners with various levels of prior knowledge. This clarity not only facilitates learning but also encourages engagement and application.

Perhaps the most significant benefit is the course’s capacity to foster critical thinking. Chomsky’s emphasis on questioning, analyzing, and challenging established norms encourages learners to think critically about language, media, truth, and activism. This aspect of the MasterClass equips students with valuable skills that extend beyond the course, allowing them to approach various aspects of life with a more critical and discerning mindset.

What could be improved

The entire course can be completed in less than an hour. Some might consider that to be the same course length as a single class in university. However, the short duration of the course can definitely be improved. Given the breadth of Chomsky’s expertise, learners will find themselves craving more in-depth exploration of the topics covered.

Teaching style not suitable for all types of learners

While Chomsky’s teaching style, particularly in his MasterClass, might be effective for some, it does not cater to all types of learners. Some individuals might benefit from a more interactive, visually engaging, or even a conventional monologue-based course.

Lack of a structured learning path

A more structured learning path would make the learning experience better. While the content is rich, it could benefit from a clearer roadmap, guiding students through a logical progression of topics. A structured path can help learners better grasp the interconnections between different concepts, such as how language plays a crucial role in disseminating information, media, and even activism.

Lacks hands-on exercises

One notable area for improvement is the absence of practical hands-on exercises. Practical activities related to the course content could offer a more interactive and immersive learning experience. Hands-on exercises would enable students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, reinforcing their understanding and practical skills.

How much does the class cost?

As of recent, MasterClass only offers annual plans, with the most affordable option being $120 . You can’t purchase the Noam Chomsky MasterClass individually, so to access it, you must buy the annual subscription. If you’re considering taking only this MasterClass, I would say it’s not worth it. The value of a MasterClass subscription lies in the opportunity to also be able to access the 180+ courses with leading figures in a range of other topics.

Conclusion: Is the Noam Chomsky MasterClass worth it?

In a nutshell, the Noam Chomsky MasterClass is like a sip of wisdom from an intellectual cocktail. It’s a great privilege, given that he was alive during WWII, to still be able to hear from such an iconic scholar. Chomsky’s knack for breaking down complex topics into bite-sized, understandable nuggets – even at his age – is the highlight here. The course feels like watching the most important moments from his sexagenary experience of teaching condensed in one place.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The course is as short as a sitcom episode, leaving you yearning for more. This is a net positive if you go on to do some research on the topics Chomsky raises. In any case, Chomsky’s teaching style isn’t for everyone, so a bit more variety in the delivery could make the course even better. And a roadmap or some hands-on exercises would be the icing on the cake.

All things considered, I found it paradoxical that Chomsky would warn against misinformation and oversimplification but delivers his MasterClass just in that way – less information and overly simplified. Still, the course is a must-try for Chomsky enthusiasts. But if you’re anticipating a full course as I did, you might leave the table wanting more.

Kazuhiro Budiono

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Noam Chomsky at 96: The linguist, educator, philosopher and public thinker has had a massive intellectual and moral influence

Professor of Humanities and Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University

Disclosure statement

Robert F. Barsky has received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, The Guggenheim Foundation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Fonds FCAR, and Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

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Noam Chomsky, one of the world’s most famous and respected intellectuals, will be 96 years old on Dec. 7, 2024. For more than half a century, multitudes of people have read his works in a variety of languages, and many people have relied on his commentaries and interviews for insights about intellectual debates and current events.

Chomsky suffered a stroke in June 2023 that has severely limited his movement, impaired his speech and impeded his ability to travel. His birthday provides an occasion to consider the tremendous corpus of works that he created over the years and to reflect on the many ways that his texts and recordings still critically engage with contemporary discussions all across disciplines and realms.

Chomsky’s vast body of work includes scientific research focused on language, human nature and the mind, and political writings about U.S. imperialism, Israel and Palestine, Central America, the Vietnam War, coercive institutions, the media and the many ways in which people’s needs are subjugated in the interest of profit and control.

As a scholar of humanities and law , I’ve engaged with Chomsky’s work from an array of perspectives and authored a biography called “ Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent ” and a book on Chomsky’s influence called “ The Chomsky Effect: A Radical Works Beyond the Ivory Tower .” One important theme in his broad corpus is his lifelong fascination with human creativity, which helps explain his vociferous attacks on those who seek to keep the rabble in line .

Avram Noam Chomsky was born on Dec. 7, 1928, in Philadelphia. He and his younger brother, David Chomsky , were raised in a lively household by Elsie Simonofsky and William (Zev) Chomsky , progressive educators who were deeply immersed in wide-ranging Jewish and Zionist cultural activities.

Chomsky often dates his own interest in teaching and learning to his close readings of Hebrew works with his parents and to the lively educational experiences he enjoyed at the Oak Lane County Day School , an experimental school that subscribed to John Dewey’s approach to immersive learning and promoted individual creativity over competition with other students.

A precocious learner, Chomsky at 12 years old read the proofs for his father’s book about a 13th-century Hebrew grammarian named David Kimhi . It was an auspicious beginning to a life immersed in philology , philosophy and the study of language and the mind . From very early on, he sought to understand innate human propensities for freedom, dignity and creativity, which inspired his interest in fostering those properties of human nature.

While Chomsky’s parents were what he called normal Roosevelt Democrats, he was drawn to more radical approaches to society and to the promotion of noncoercive social structures . At age 10, he read about the Spanish Civil War, which inspired him to write an editorial about the fall of Barcelona for his school’s newspaper. This was an early harbinger of his public intellectual work and his vociferous challenges to systems of oppression and illegitimate authority.

As a young man, Chomsky joined a socialist wing of the Zionist youth movement that opposed a Jewish state, and from his readings and discussions he came to favor Arab-Jewish class cooperation in a socialist Palestine. His deep knowledge of Palestine and Israel, bolstered by his ability to read and speak Arabic and Hebrew, helped inform his many vehement critiques of Israeli state power .

Radical pedagogy

After an early education focused on self-discovery and free-ranging exploration, Chomsky was introduced in high school to rote learning, competition with other students and a mainstream system of values. In reaction, he began to make regular trips to New York City, where he explored bookstores. He also made regular visits with a relative who ran a newsstand on 72nd Street that served as a lively intellectual center for emigrés interested in more radical approaches to society.

In 1944, Chomsky completed high school and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania. Although he has expressed some dismay about the structures of conformity and status quo thinking he encountered there, he did find inspiration in courses with philosopher C. West Churchman , linguist Giorgio Levi Della Vida and, moreover, linguist Zellig Harris . Chomsky knew members of the Harris family because Zellig Harris’ father hosted Jewish services in the Harris home that the Chomsky family occasionally attended.

Chomsky’s father’s approach to the study of language bore similarities to Zellig Harris’ work in Semitics , the study of Arabic, Hebrew and other Semitic languages. Harris invited Noam to read the proofs of his “ Methods in Structural Linguistics .” This highly anticipated book was rooted in the idea that the function and the meaning of linguistic elements are determined by their their relationship to other components that make up sentences. After working hard to understand Harris’ linguistics paradigm, Chomsky eventually abandoned it, but he remained fascinated by Harris’ political views and by the unstructured, lively and creative debates that he promoted.

Chomsky met Carol Doris Schatz at the Hebrew School where her mother taught and Chomsky’s father was principal. Years later, when they were both students at the University of Pennsylvania, they started dating. They were married in 1949, and four years later they decided to move to an Israeli kibbutz, or communal agricultural settlement. They had expected to find a culture of creative free thinking there. Instead, they were deeply disappointed to find what Chomsky described as ideological conformity to Stalinist ideology. They returned to the U.S. after only six weeks.

The young couple settled in Boston and started a family . Noam pursued graduate work, while Carol paused her own studies to raise the children. She later returned to research on language acquisition, which she eventually taught and researched at MIT and Harvard. Carol Chomsky died in 2008. Noam remarried in 2014, to the Brazilian translator Valeria Wasserman Chomsky .

Chomskian revolution

When Chomsky was a student, most academic psychologists described human language as a system of habits, skills or dispositions to act that are acquired through extensive training, induction, generalization and association. By this account, language grows incrementally with experience, reinforced by a system of rewards and punishments .

This framework was at the heart of a structuralist paradigm , which analyzed the form and meaning of texts as different parts of the same thing. Any language, from this standpoint, restricts how phonemes and morphemes – the smallest units of sound and meaning in language – and other constituents are assembled and distributed. By this view, humans have the capacity to learn language in ways akin to how they acquire other kinds of knowledge .

Chomsky’s Ph.D. work, the resulting 1957 book “ Syntactic Structures ” and his New York Review of Books review of B.F. Skinner’s “Verbal Behaviour” challenged this paradigm and heralded the Chomskian linguistics revolution.

Chomsky’s starting point was that humans are endowed with universal grammar , which is activated by exposure to natural language . Children gain proficiency in a language by building on innate knowledge. This means that the capacity for language quite literally grows in the mind in a manner akin to how organs develop in the body .

Chomsky’s interest in innate human abilities draws in part from a range of philosophical treatises penned in the 17th and 18th centuries and associated with the Port Royal system of logic and Enlightenment philosophy , which emphasized science, individual liberty and the rule of law. He developed these ideas in a book called “ Cartesian Linguistics ,” which outlined his intellectual debt to the writings of, among others, Descartes , Kant, Rousseau and Wilhelm von Humboldt .

By the early 1960s, Chomsky’s work had gained him recognition in linguistics, philosophy and psychology. His own research, and that conducted by the growing number of linguists who adopted his approach, led to significant advances in the study of syntax, generative grammar, language and the mind, semantics, form and the interpretation of language.

His political engagement was documented in what I believe is a remarkable collection of interviews and books about U.S. imperialism, the Cold War, the Middle East, Central America and Southeast Asia, including “ Problems of Knowledge and Freedom ” and “ For Reasons of State .” Puzzled by Americans’ spirit of resigned consensus, he began to collaborate with Edward S. Herman on books including “ Counter-Revolutionary Violence ,” “ The Political Economy of Human Rights ” and “ Manufacturing Consent ,” which was turned into a popular film by the same name.

Common thread

The common thread connecting Chomsky’s many intellectual projects are four “problems” that were the focus of much of his life’s work. One is Plato’s problem , which considers why it is that humans, whose contact with the world is brief and limited, can come to know so much. The second is Orwell’s complementary problem , which asks how is it that human beings know so little given the amount of information to which they have access. The third is Descartes’ problem , which pertains to the human capacity to freely express thoughts in constantly novel ways over an infinite range by means that are appropriate to circumstances but not caused by them. Finally, there’s Humboldt’s problem, which focuses on what constitutes language .

These problems are connected in different ways to how people learn, what impedes human development , and to speculations about the initial state of the language faculty, which he outlined in a range of texts, including “ Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin, and Use ,” “ Language and Problems of Knowledge: The Managua Lectures ,” “ The Minimalist Program ” and “ Why Only Us? Language and Evolution ,” with Robert C. Berwick.

Chomsky’s legacy

Remarkably tenacious and active, Chomsky continued to publish and to speak out on contemporary issues into his mid-90s. His ideas evolved but were rooted in a series of deeply seated ideas about the nature of the human mind. He is one of the most cited intellectuals in history, and he was voted the leading living public intellectual in The 2005 Global Intellectuals Poll . Millions of people have watched his debates and discussions with William F. Buckley , Angela Davis , Alan Dershowitz , Michel Foucault , Howard Gardner , Christopher Hitchens , Richard Perle , Jean Piaget , Briahna Joy Gray and even Ali G .

As the figure widely viewed as the founder of cognitive sciences, Chomsky has been critical of the hype surrounding big data , artificial intelligence and ChatGPT .

As a voice for the downtrodden and the oppressed, he has spoken from the perspective of human rights, intellectual self-defense and the popular struggle through independent thinking against structures of power and subjugation.

Chomsky’s extraordinary achievements resonate far and wide – and are likely to continue to do so into the future.

• Noam Chomsky
• Linguistics
• Intellectual
• Anti-imperialism

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