Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Noam Chomsky

Quote by Noam Chomsky

“I mean, contrary to the contemporary version of it, classical liberalism (which remember was pre-capitalist, and in fact, anti-capitalist) focused on the right of people to control their own work, and the need for free creative work under your own control—for human freedom and creativity. So to a classical liberal, wage labor under capitalism would have been considered totally immoral, because it frustrates the fundamental need of people to control their own work: you're a slave to someone else.”

Quote by Noam Chomsky

Book:Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky
Create image

Work

Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky, born on December 7, 1928, is a renowned linguist from the United States. His research in generative grammar and transformational grammar has had a profound impact on modern linguistics. Chomsky's academic achievements extend beyond linguistics, as he is also an active political commentator and philosopher, known for his unique perspective and profound insights. more

You May Also Like

“The liberal ideals of the Enlightenment could be realized only in very partial and limited ways in the emerging capitalist order: "Democracy with its mono of equality of all citizens before the law and Liberalism with its right of man over his own person both were wrecked on the realities of capitalist economy," Rocker correctly observed. Those who are compelled to rent themselves to owners of capital in order to survive are deprived of one of the most fundamental rights: the right to productive, creative and fulfilling work under one's own control, in solidarity with others. And under the ideological constraints of capitalist democracy, the prime necessity is to satisfy the needs of those in a position to make investment decisions; if their demands are not satisfied, there will be no production, no work, no social services, no means for survival. All necessarily subordinate themselves and their interests to the overriding need to serve the interests of the owners and managers of the society, who, furthermore, with their control over resources, are easily able to shape the ideological system (the media, schools, universities and so on) in their interests, to determine the basic conditions within which the political process will function, its parameters and basic agenda, and to call upon the resources of state violence, when need be, to suppress any challenge to entrenched power. The point was formulated succinctly in the early days of the liberal democratic revolutions by John Jay, the President of the Continental Congress and the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court: "The people who own the country ought to govern it." And, of course, they do, whatever political faction may be in power. Matters could hardly be otherwise when economic power is narrowly concentrated and the basic decisions over the nature and character of life, the investment decisions, are in principle removed from democratic control.”

FreedomLibertyCapitalismLiberalismIndoctrinationLiberalLiberalsClassical LiberalismClassical Liberal
Book:Chomsky On Anarchism
Create image

“»Seht! Dort ist der Schöne!« »Eure Hoheit!« »Schaut hierher, Eure Durchlaucht!« Emanio unterdrückte ein Augenrollen. Er wünschte sich, sie würden aufhören, ihn den Schönen zu nennen, doch er hatte mit seinen Bitten, dies zu unterlassen, nur kurzzeitig Erfolg gehabt. Winkend schenkte er den Bewohnern von Rius ein leichtes Lächeln und ein lautes Kreischen antwortete ihm, als die Menschen nun auf die Kutsche zu drängten.”

EmanioDer SchöneHerzogssohn
Book:Emanio - Der Schöne und das Biest
Create image

“Unwillkürlich musste er schmunzeln, als die kleine Wildkatze, die nicht einmal halb so groß war wie er, jetzt wütend fauchend vor ihm stand und ihm die Leviten las. »Lachst du über mich?« Der Luchs hielt inne und starrte ihn misstrauisch an. Dann fauchte er erneut. »Stumpfkralle! Du solltest ohne Aufsicht nicht im Wald unterwegs sein!« Stumpfkralle? Irgendwie war es niedlich, wie wütend und besorgt sich der Luchs aufführte.”

EmanioLuchsBegegnungFauchenStumpfkralle
Book:Emanio - Der Schöne und das Biest
Create image