Noam Chomsky and the Dissident Intellectual

Presented by Andrew Ó Baoill, assistant professor of Communication Studies

One of the founders of modern linguistics, and the most cited living scholar in the world, Chomsky has been recognized as a leading voice of dissent in the United States and internationally for over 40 years. This lecture will examine Chomsky's political work, with particular attention to his analysis of the mass media, touch on some of his famous entanglings with intellectuals like Foucault and Lippmann, and investigate important questions about the role of the intellectual in society - particularly the waning notion of the public intellectual. What responsibility does the intellectual have to engage with broad social struggles? What is the connection between the academic work of someone like Chomsky, bound up with technical questions about the structure of language, and their 'extra-curricular' political work? What of the questions Chomsky raises about the operation of power and privilege in society?
 
Dr. Ó Baoill joined the faculty at Cazenovia in 2009, teaching courses in broadcasting, journalism and media. His PhD is from the University of Illinois, where his research focused on the impact of the internet on community radio stations in the United States. He has also published on electronic voting and the interaction of the internet and democratic debate. His research is generally focused on the interaction of technology, democracy and public participation.

Visit the Great Minds / Great Ideas Lecture Series web page for more information about this lecture series.