The second batch of documents allegedly belonging to Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire convicted child abuser, serial rapist, and human trafficker whose suicide in prison in 2019 was deemed suspicious, was released by the US Department of Justice on January 30. Epstein was known for his close relationships with the super-privileged, including high-level politicians such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, big business figures like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, and members of European royal families. Various members of the class, what Noam Chomsky called the “Masters of Mankind,” come together in the Epstein documents. No investigation has yet been conducted into the involvement of these individuals in the crimes for which Epstein was convicted.

Quite surprisingly, these documents also mention the names of Noam Chomsky and his family members. An assessment of the records in the first batch linking Chomsky to Epstein, which we found relevant, was translated into Turkish and is available on art-izan.org (For the original in English, please see the paper by Greg Grandin). The second batch of documents seems to have further heightened the public’s surprise and disappointment following Chomsky. In response to these developments, as a publishing house that has published 15 of his books in Türkiye over the past 20 years, and one still in the publication schedule, we felt it necessary to make a statement regarding many media and social media assessments that discredit Noam Chomsky.

Noam Chomsky, considered one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th century, has turned 97 now. His groundbreaking works in linguistics, along with his studies on US foreign policy, global imperialism, corporate capitalism, media, and power structures, have profoundly impacted the libertarian left tradition and dissident movements worldwide. Since suffering a stroke in June 2023, his communication channels with the outside world have been cut off. It’s not easy to summarize Chomsky’s prolific life, spanning almost a century. He conducted his linguistic research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for over 60 years, his name becoming synonymous with the institution. He has written over 150 books on philosophy, human nature, linguistics, and various socio-political issues, perhaps penning a new article every day, and giving countless lectures and talks around the world. Throughout these, he never neglected to respond to the dozens of letters and hundreds of emails of varying importance that reached him daily, without any filters.

With his views permeating every aspect of human life, Chomsky is perhaps one of the last representatives of a tradition of public intellectuals who developed an authority independent of power structures. He is an ambassador of the libertarian left tradition, which stretches from 19th-century classical liberalism to socialism and anarcho-syndicalism, reaching into the 21st century.

Operating on a cooperative model, BGST Publications has adopted the mission of publishing fundamental works that serve social enlightenment and libertarian thought, along with research and significant written outputs of the performing arts. We believe it is worthwhile to summarize the reasons why Chomsky is considered valuable by BGST Publications to include more than 15 of his books. For decades, Chomsky has been a great teacher who has consistently defended not only the truth but also the common good, placing value on social enlightenment. He has never compromised his public moral stance. Those who have read Chomsky’s works have found them valuable in many respects. Apart from his contributions to linguistics, much information on the history and philosophy of science, the humanist pedagogical approach, scientific thought, and scientific practice can be learned from Chomsky. The development of capitalist institutions from the 19th century to the present day, and the key turning points of social struggles, can also be learned and deliberated through Chomsky. These discussions are sometimes enriched with facts from centuries past, sometimes with the micro-histories of the present, and sometimes with contemporary political developments. However, Chomsky is not limited solely to scientific knowledge and historical truth.

One of the factors that includes Chomsky in the tradition of public intellectuals is his openness in sharing knowledge and showing solidarity with the oppressed. It might be accurate to trace Chomsky’s social activism back to his struggle against the Vietnam War in the US. However, he didn’t stop there; throughout his life, he gave lectures, engaged with social movements, and demonstrated solidarity with local activists in many countries, from Latin America to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where massacres and intense human rights violations have occurred. During all these visits, he exposed the carnage inflicted on oppressed people by global imperialism and its institutions, disregarding international law and humanitarian values, and sought to draw the world’s attention to these facts. He called on the people of the countries responsible for these massacres, primarily his own country, the US, to hold their own governments accountable. It is not difficult to see the foundations of this intellectual stance in his works. A matter that Chomsky persistently addresses in his writings and interviews is the attitude of intellectuals who are dependent on the system’s institutions and have internalized loyalty to the system. Chomsky has always regarded this as immoral and has emphasized the responsibility of independent intellectuals in building social justice.

Throughout his life, Chomsky has sought to give a voice to the oppressed in the public sphere. Today, however, he is unable to respond to the discrediting assessments made about him on the basis of documents revealed in the Epstein case. A few of his close friends who could speak on his behalf are still alive, and his family continues to remain silent [Editor’s Note: A statement from Valeria Chomsky was released during the publication of this article]. Many of the documents, mostly of a family and private nature, offer no evidence that Chomsky was involved in the crimes for which Epstein was convicted, or that he actively took a stance to protect the perpetrator. Considering what has been revealed so far, Chomsky cannot be tried for any crime. It can easily be said that these revelations constitute an attack on his personal rights.

On the other hand, documents indicate that Chomsky, who dedicated his life to explaining the workings of power structures and exposing the immorality of the power elite, developed an intimate correspondence with a corrupt billionaire involved in heinous crimes like Epstein. While it is perfectly normal to ethically question this contact from the perspective of intellectual consistency and honesty, in many cases, criticisms directed at Chomsky are targeting his entire intellectual legacy. This approach, which goes far beyond ethical debate, can be regarded as a summary execution, character assassination, or a reflection of the “cancel culture” that Chomsky himself opposed. We are certain that the discrediting of Chomsky brings great satisfaction to the elites of the establishment, who have long been uncomfortable with his intellectual stance. But even if the dissidents and anti-system actors who express themselves across a very broad spectrum were to engage in an ethical inquiry, what benefit could they possibly expect from Chomsky’s ‘cancellation’?

A broad segment of the opposition, who can relate their values, ideas, and political views to Chomsky’s, faces a different responsibility in these times of growing hurt, anger, and emotional reaction. We can engage in ethical discussions, but we cannot put ourselves in the place of judges and deliver our own verdicts and punishments. Those emotionally shaken by the Chomsky-Epstein correspondence could undertake a more rigorous investigation to better understand the issue, to situate the private correspondence within a human narrative, and perhaps to distinguish possible forged documents from authentic ones. 

We will continue to value Chomsky for his works and intellectual legacy. It is only natural that an intellectual who, throughout his life, touched the lives of countless people around the world—beyond the classrooms he taught, the lecture halls he spoke in, and the libraries in which his works were read—should also be assessed as a human being, with all his flaws. To make this assessment fairly, we must evaluate the reality implied by the Epstein documents more dispassionately.

This article has also been published in Turkish here.

Bgst Publications was founded in 2006 in Istanbul and since then, published more than 15 books by Chomsky and 5 books by Michael Albert. Bgst is operating on a cooperative model, and specialising in books on social enlightenment and poli-cultural performance arts.

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