Radical Priorities

RADICAL PRIORITIES is a truly useful book for those hoping to gain a deeper understanding of Chomsky's philosophical vision; for those trying not only to understand what Chomsky is against, but what he is for, as well. To begin, the opening essay by editor C.P. Otero is one of the most engaging explications of Chomsky's work that I've encountered--it is worth the price of the book for that alone. The text itself is comprised of about 30 articles, most of them rather short, and many of them unavailable from any other source. Some of the articles cover familiar ground: his principled opposition to the Vietnam War, his feelings on the intelligensia/media, and his outrage over atrocities in East Timor, among other places. However, in addition to these morsels, there are valuable pieces covering how Chomsky feels an anarchist (or libertarian socialist, as he prefers to call it) society would actually operate. Though probably not the ideal primer for someone new to Chomsky's thought to start, the book is an excellent resource for those who would like delve a little more deeply into the abstract of his analysis. Highly recommended.

This collection offers Chomsky's usual knowledge and analysis of a wide variety of social and political topics. A large amount of the material was written in the 1980s, although this new expanded edition brings the book's scope all the way up through 2003. Readers approaching Chomsky for the first time may want to start with his book Understanding Power, but for those familiar with the subject matter this is a valuable and very welcome collection.

Most readers will not, and should not, come to know Chomsky's political writing via this book. For those seeking an introduction to Chomsky's political writing, Deterring Democracy, The Chomsky Reader, and Manufacturing Consent, are the volumes I would most recommend. "Radical Priorites" added more dimension to my already developed appreciation of Chomsky's writing. It is a collection of abstracts from Noam's political writing roughly encompassing the period from 1966 to 1980. What follows is a list of the attributes that primarily give the book its unique flavour and somewhat specialist appeal among all the works in the Chomsky canon.1. The introductory essay by editor Carlos P. Otero is one of the most comprehensive discussions of the theory and political vision underlying Chomsky's critiques. Otero's essay touches on most of the major Chomsky themes, the propaganda function of media in "democratic" societies, the veneer of "objectivity" in liberal scholarship, the responsibility (and the lack of it) of intellectuals, to name a few. But Otero goes further than most in trying to elucidate the underlying humanistic vision of Chomsky. He discusses Chomsky's views on human nature, libertarianism and liberalism, socialism and capitalism, authority, anarchosyndicalism, grass-roots democracy and activist strategy. Since in most of his works Chomsky is reticent about the broader philosophical underpinnings, this book, as well as Powers and Prospects, is of tremendous benefit to those who are interested in such matters.2. Many of Chomsky's published works prior to the mid-eighties can be difficult to find. The excerpts in "Radical Priorities" can help one get a sense of Chomsky's writings during major conflicts such as Viet Nam and East Timor, as they transpired. 3. Included in this volume are more excerpts that give an indication of Chomsky's political vision than practically any other Chomsky book. Some representative titles of the excerpts are: "industrial self-management", "libertarian socialism", "industrial society and anarchism", "the 'moderate' position", "fantasies of the left", "waste production and international dominance", and "Scientists of the world, unite!."All in all, this book serves as an inspiring testament to radical humanism, and the vision underlying it.