Chomsky on Libertarian Socialism

Abstract

In the final chapter I want to turn my attention more fully to Chomsky’s ideason libertarian socialism and their implications for a number of issues in socialand political thought. In particular, I want to examine the grounds for arguingthat libertarian socialism offers a means by which both Descartes’ andOrwell’s Problems can be challenged. My aim here is to set out and defenda range of ideas that Chomsky sees as central to libertarian socialism whilealso examining some of the difficulties it faces. There are two main strandsto the concluding chapter which help to draw together many of the themesconcerning power, knowledge and human nature that I have explored inChomsky’s work. After introducing what Chomsky has to say about thelibertarian socialist tendency and its heritage I will consider the grounds forit that are to be located in Chomsky’s ideas about human nature and freedom.Throughout, my intention is to focus upon Chomsky’s interpretation oflibertarian socialism and the primary obstacles to the realisation of such asocial order. In addition I will also attempt to defend libertarian socialism,as far as possible, from the counter-claims of its diverse critics.The central problem facing any form of emancipatory social and politicalthought grounded in an account of human nature is the following: ‘Iflibertarian socialism is the most suitable form of social and politicalorganisation for satisfying and realising the deepest aspects of our humannature, then why do current social and political arrangements not resembleit more fully?’ I think that such an answer can be offered but at the sametime it is an answer that reveals what thus far has been the fundamental