Chomsky: Scholars and Experts Conform Too Easily

More than 40 years ago Noam Chomsky wrote, "The Responsibility of Intellectuals," an essay about scholars and the Vietnam War. He revisited the topic in a lecture last week and again lamented intellectuals' willingness to overlook inconsistencies in U.S. policies--specifically those related to climate change efforts and the promotion of democracy overseas.

“The official line is that we promote democracy,” said Chomsky, who is an Institute Professor and Professor of Linguistics (emeritus) at MIT. However in practice, he claimed, the U.S. “supports democracy if and only if it conforms to strategic and economic interests.” Chomsky said that rather than challenging inconsistencies, many scholars and experts adopt safe and "responsible" views that serve to perpetuate the status quo.

The lecture was part of MIT's "Ideas Matter" series, which is sponsored by MIT's Department of Political Science and The Boston Review.

View video of the lecture below or check it out on TechTV.

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