(I posted this on the 44s last week. BTW, I think Levi-Strauss is the only famous dude who shares my birthday.)
Claude Levi-Strauss
From the NY Times today:
I rarely meet people who major in literature and artsy humanities, but when I do, I sometimes joke about Claude Levi-Strauss. Regardless of we studied–French lit, Spanish lit, Philosophy–everybody with a humanities major has read Claude Levi-Strauss. Tristes Tropiques is a classic, as well as a fascinating read into “primitive” cultures and how they share similar societal structures with so-called modern society. The idea of universal structuralism itself is great because it shows that one can learn about oneself by studying others. In my trips overseas, I’ve certainly found that to be true.
The article states, “But Mr. Lévi-Strauss’s version of structuralism may end up surviving poststructuralism, just as he survived most of its proponents. His monumental work “Mythologiques” may even ensure his legacy, as a creator of mythologies if not their explicator. ”
I agree. Although we’ve spent most of our lives in the current postructuralist or deconstructionist phase of American society’s evolution, and although such thinking was necessary to fully democratize our society, I’ve noticed that many of us are beginning to return to our roots, embracing the ideas of structures, mythologies, and symbols that make us wholer than the anti-whatever movements of the past.
One of my two favorite college professors, a man by the name of Richard Klein, pointed to his copy of Tristes Tropiques during one lecture about the significance of clothing. He said, “If you remember anything in this course, remember this: always dress well for the occasion.”
Claude Levi-Strauss, Rest in Peace.
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