Proposal
The paper proposes to examine Claude Levi Strauss and his contribution to the Theory of Structuralism. Strauss is a French philosopher and anthropologist who made a tremendous contribution to the field of Anthropology. In his observations, the philosopher viewed Structuralism from the perspective of cultures, which he regarded as systems that could be analyzed from the structural relations among their various elements. According to Strauss, the universal patterns that are evident in cultural systems are the outcomes of the human mind and its invariant structure. In essence, the structure is synonymous with the mind. However, evidence exists to suggest structure manifests in other analyses, such as the patterns in mythology, kinship, ritual, religion, the arts, and culinary traditions. Claude Levi Strauss posits human nature forces compel people to take the actions they do and that all societies follow established structures.
One of the distinctive elements of Structuralism is its emphasis on wholes or totalities. In the traditional sense, the structure was utilized as an analytical tool or concept, where various parts were broken down into constituent elements. Structuralism appreciates this conventional approach but emphasizes the need to examine an entity in its entirety. The overarching argument under Structuralism is the possibility to analyze the parts and the whole concerning the relations that exist between them. In reality, the overriding quality of the Structural approach is the fundamental concept that attempts to examine the complicated network of relationships that unite various elements into the whole. In this regard, Structuralism can be used to explore different aspects that make society and can explain the relationships that exist between the various elements that make the whole.
The proposal to examine Structuralism and the contribution of Claude Levi Strauss is the recognition that philosophy should be analytic and scientific. To be meaningful, philosophy should address issues that make sense in the real world as opposed to examining abstract things. One can use Structuralism to understand language and speech by breaking it into small units and organizing them to reveal the relationships that manifest among them. Various events and experiences shaped the Levi-Strauss’ perception. Doubtless, the many years he spent in Brazil doing his fieldwork and the advent of the Second World had fundamental effects on his understanding of society. While in Brazil, he studied the culture of the indigenous inhabitants. The philosopher postulated that colonialism implied the subordination of specific underdeveloped communities by evolved civilizations. The philosopher analyzed society from the perspective of kinships, which he observed were central to the social systems.
The study will examine the contributions of Claude Levi Strauss to Structuralism and review his philosophical thought. The paper will explore the fundamental ideas of Structuralism, which holds that every system has an independent culture, the structure determines the position each element holds on the whole, the fundamental laws are concerned with co-existence as opposed to changes, and structures as examined as real things. Equally, the paper will attempt to respond to Richter’s three questions regarding a person’s origin, his or her destination, and the lessons learned. An honest response to the three questions from the perspective of the Structuralist provides a complete picture of a person. The paper recognizes Claude Levi Strauss as a vital contributor to Structuralism and his structural anthropology as a brilliant way to examine the materials of culture and the attendant human mind’s universal structures.