American scholar Quote by Noam Chomsky
““The idea that we must choose between the method of "winning hearts and minds" and the method of shaping behavior presumes that we have the right to choose at all. This is to grant us a right that we would surely accord to no other power. Yet the overwhelming body of American scholarship accords us this right.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on political philosophy, 2015
Choosing between winning hearts and minds or shaping behavior assumes a right to decide, which is contested.
In simple terms: Assuming we can choose others’ behavior is a contested right.
Key Takeaway
Question the legitimacy of influencing others.
Themes
power
ethics
political philosophy
agency
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy making
- public persuasion
- media campaigns
Key Concepts
rights
behavioral control
democratic theory
Questions to Reflect On
- Who decides the moral authority to shape behavior?
- What safeguards protect autonomy?
A Different Perspective
Such influence can become coercive or undemocratic.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
