It may be observed that Chomskys piece is in this sense much a modern take on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, who also starts in his exposition with the core t

It may be observed that Chomskys piece is in this sense much a modern take on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, who also starts in his exposition with the core theme of negativity, as the very base of "sense certainty" (better: sensual certainty, sinnliche Gewissheit), what Hegel called the "teachings of Ceres", the very origin of conceptuality, in order to expand on this in his grand scheme. (I find it quite remarkable that Chomsky would fall back on this classic line of thought on this occasion.)