The mind against the authority

The title of this book represents a comprehensive summary of Chomsky's works, and an overall overview of his life path. The intellectual who is made of clay has only reason as a means to fight battles (...). The disagreement between Chomsky and many contemporary intellectuals is that these often rejected the weapon of reason; indeed, some consider this weapon in its essence a repressive tool. However, Chomsky does not hold a naive belief in the power of reason, but sees that reason is all we have. Nor does Chomsky come from a naive belief in progress; but democracy, individual freedoms, secularism, liberation of colonies, minority rights, women's rights, and the rights of future generations (the movement for environmental protection) are considered indicators of progress, and progress coupled with a re-examination of traditional forms of authority, a process made possible by the movement of rational and liberating critique derived from the Enlightenment.