Avram Noam Chomsky, born on December 7, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and left-wing political activist and dissident. Known as a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy and American imperialism, he is often hailed as the "father of modern linguistics" for revolutionizing the field with his theory of generative grammar, which posits an innate human capacity for language acquisition. Chomsky's work has profoundly influenced analytic philosophy, cognitive science, and psychology.

He earned his BA in 1949 and PhD in 1955 from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on linguistics and mathematical logic. In 1955, he joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a faculty member, later becoming an Institute Professor Emeritus. Since 2017, he has served as a Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona. Among the most cited scholars worldwide, Chomsky has authored over 150 books covering linguistics, war, politics, and media.

Chomsky's political activism began in the 1960s; he is a longstanding proponent of anarcho-syndicalism and a fierce critic of capitalism, corporate media influence, elite institutions such as the Council on Foreign Relations, and Israeli policies, advocating for Palestinian rights. He co-authored the influential book "Manufacturing Consent" with Edward S. Herman, which analyzes propaganda models in mass media. His activism includes opposition to wars such as the Vietnam War and U.S. interventions in Latin America and the Middle East. Chomsky has participated in public debates, notably against Richard Perle at Ohio State University in 1988, and his outspoken critiques have frequently put him at odds with pro-Israel advocates and conservative critics like David Horowitz.

Raised in a Jewish family in Philadelphia and attending experimental schools that nurtured his early intellectual curiosity, Chomsky wrote editorials on fascism by age 10. Combining rigorous academic scholarship with passionate social commentary, he has mentored many individuals, including close friend Norman Finkelstein. Now in his 90s, Chomsky continues to influence global discourse on ethics, justice, and human rights from his base in the United States.