“If the responsibility of intellectuals refers to their moral responsibility as decent human beings in a position to use their privilege and status to advance the cause of freedom, justice, mercy, and peace—and to speak out not simply about the abuses of our enemies, but, far more significantly, about the crimes in which we are implicated and can ameliorate or terminate if we choose—how should we think of 9/11?”
Noam Chomsky, in his article “The Responsibility of Intellectuals, Redux,” evaluates the position of the intellectual in American history. Recognizing that they are either celebrated or shunned, based on their position in relation to the state, he questions the moral legitimacy of taking a stance.
