Accepting Quote by Noam Chomsky
“To achieve respectability, to be admitted to the debate, they must accept without question or inquiry the fundamental doctrine that the state is benevolent, governed by the loftiest intentions, adopting a defensive stance, not an actor in world affairs but only reacting to the crimes of others...If even the harshest of critics tacitly adopt these premises, then the ordinary person may ask, who am I to disagree?”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Media and Power, MIT, 1995
The state is often portrayed as benevolent, discouraging dissent and critical inquiry.
In simple terms: Blind trust in authority stifles debate.
Key Takeaway
Question authority and seek evidence.
Themes
politics
media
critical thinking
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- news consumption
- political activism
- academic research
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
power structures
state legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits when we accept state narratives unquestioned?
- What evidence challenges the notion of a purely benevolent state?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue that trust in institutions is necessary for social stability.
![“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)
