Noam Chomsky (1928 – )

Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is a major figure in analytic philosophy, one of the founders of the field of cognitive science, and is considered one of the world's leading intellectuals.

Born Avram Noam Chomsky in Philadelphia to Jewish immigrant parents, Chomsky enrolled in undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 16 and went on to earn his doctorate from the Harvard Society of Fellows in 1955 before going on to teach at MIT.

A vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and the War on Terror, Chomsky was known for his political activism and gained national attention for his anti-war essay "The Responsibility of Intellectuals" published as a special supplement by The New York Review of Books on February 23, 1967.

Chomsky has written over a hundred books on such topics as linguistics, mass media, war, and politics.