Noam Chomsky and Murray Bookchin

Essay by ccalkinUniversity, Bachelor'sA, May 2013

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Compare and Contrast the 'anarchism' or Chomsky and Bookchin. Is it accurate to label them anarchists?

Murray Bookchin is considered one of the most insightful and controversial anarchist thinkers of the mid-to late twentieth centuries. He was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrants. After the death of his mother, he joined a Communist youth organization (Anarchism). He had originally studied Marxism but then gradually began discovering Trotskyism, after which he joined the Socialist Workers Party. He became inspired and developed the concept of Social-Ecology, which, by definition is: "present ecological problems are rooted in deep-seated social problems, particularly in dominate hierarchical political and social systems." (Bookchin). It suggests that the complex relationships between people and nature is a theme which he really empasizes , along the importance of establishing more mutual social structures. His ideas on localized, self-governed communities seem rather insightful and thoughtful - considering the strains of globalization and resource depletion.

(Wood) He has made "thinking local" a viable plan for future societal sustainability.

Avram Noam Chomsky has been described as "the father of modern linguistics" (Clark) and he's a major figure of analytic philosophy. He was born in 1928 to Jewish parents and lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He claims that at age twelve or thirteen, he felt as though he identified more fully with anarchist politics. (Clark). The work that he has focused on has been a huge influence in computer science, mathematics and society. He's the co-creator of the Chomsky Hierarchy, the universal grammar theory. He identifies with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism. He works with U.S. foreign policy and is a prominent cultural figure. (Clark)

These two men have been huge influences on our current views and opinions of "Anarchy." Is it accurate to label these men as anarchists? According to the dictionary, an...