Anthropologie structurale. Avec 23 illustrations dans le texte et 13 illustrations hors-texte.
Paris: Librairie Plon, (1958). First edition. Presentation copy, inscribed to Jean Pouillon. In original wrappers, printed in red and black. (8), (i)–ii, (3), 4–454, (2) p. and 4 plates. With a few marginal signs (on 4 pages) and one note in ink on p. 401 by Pouillon. Four plates with black and white photographic reproductions. Spine slightly worn. Overall in very good condition.
Presentation copy of Lévi-Strauss’ major work to his associate and one of the contributors of the book, Jean Pouillon.
Not only the dedication but also the first sentence of the book refers to Pouillon:
“Dans une étude récente, M. Jean Pouillon a écrit une phrase qu'il ne m'en voudra pas, j'espère, de citer en tête du présent ouvrage, car elle répond admirablement à tout ce que j'ai souhaité accomplir dans l'ordre scientifique, en doutant souvent d'y être parvenu: «Lévi-Strauss n’est certes ni le premier, ni le seul à souligner le caractère structurel des phénomènes sociaux, mais son originalité est de le prendre au sérieux et d'en tirer imperturbablement toutes les conséquences».” (“In a recent study, Mr. Jean Pouillon wrote a sentence, I hope he will forgive me to cite it in this book, that responds excellently to everything I wanted to accomplish in meaning of science, and often I doubt to be able to reach: «Lévi-Strauss is certainly neither the first nor the only one who emphasises the structural character of the social phenomena, his originality is to take it seriously and derives all its consequences imperturbably».”)
Pouillon’s quoted article, “L’ouvre de Claude Lévi-Strauss” (Les Temps Modernes. No. 126, July 1956) was written as a commission of Jean-Paul Sartre, Pouillon’s intimate friend, to write a review about Lévi-Strauss’ recently published book the “Tristes Tropiques” for Sartre’s magazine “Les Temps Modernes”.
The result was an in-depth study of the evolution of Lévi-Strauss’ thinking and the turn of Pouillon’s interest from philosophy, that he studied at University, to ethnology. He became friend with Lévi-Strauss and the editor of the ethnological magazine “L'Homme. Revue française d’anthropologie" that was established by Claude Lévi-Strauss, Emile Benveniste and Pierre Gourou.
In his book “Anthropologie structurale" Lévi-Strauss explains his theory on culture, that he considers as a system of symbolic communication, to be investigated with methods that others have used more narrowly in the discussion of novels, political speeches, sports, and movies.
[Ref.: Dosse, F.: History of Structuralism. The rising sign, 1945-–1966. Minneapolis. University of Minnesota Press, 1997. pp. 5–8.]
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Price: €2,500.00