The Chomsky-Foucault Debate (Theory & Philosophy Reading Group XXIII)

Friday 9 December 2016, 7pm: Old Capitol Books and Direct Action Monterey Network are hosting the twenty-third Theory and Philosophy Reading Group. In this month’s reading group, we’ll be exploring one of the most famous philosophical debates of the twentieth-century: the debate between Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky.

The debate was in 1971 on Dutch television, and was hosted by the Dutch anarchist, Fons Elders. Though both considered left leaning, Foucault and Chomsky held radically different views of human nature and objective truth, arguing over the the role of Enlightenment, biology, and modern science.


Michel Foucault agreed to take part in the debates, and was paid in hash. He was a French philosopher, philologist, social critic, and theorist. He considered his work a critique of modernity, and has been very influential in theories of post-anarchism.


Noam Chomsky is considered one of the world’s leading intellectuals. He is a philosopher, linguist, and social critic. He is currently Professor Emeritus at MIT and is one of the most cited scholars of all time.


Readings and video available for free at oldcapitolbooks.com