[lbo-talk] Fwd: Re: Showtime...

[Wojtek S]

[WS:]  Chomsky's problem was that he did not understand cognitivism.
That failure did his linguistics in, and undermined his politics as
well.  It is not about people having or not having analytical,
critical thinking skills - but about using them selectively, as
determined by a cognitive framing of an issue, which in turn is
determined by socio-linguistic contexts.

In other words, most people are fully capable of critical analysis of
events as well as uncritical repetition of spoon-fed pablum.  Which of
these these two they will use in any particular situation depends
mainly on the cognitive framing of that situation.  In the US  as well
as the USSR, the cognitive framing of another country's politics
called for a critical assessment, whereas cognitive framing of the
domestic politics called for repetition of spoon-fed pablum.  Both
were rational responses within the respective cognitive frame.

That is why I prefer Lakoff to Chomsky.

Wojtek