Claude Levi-Strauss

Date of Birth: November 28, 1908

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Date of Death: October 30, 2009

Biography

Claude Lévi-Strauss was a pioneering French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was fundamental in the development of structuralism and structural anthropology. Born in Brussels, Belgium, Lévi-Strauss was raised in France and studied law and philosophy at the University of Paris. His early career included a stint as a professor at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, where he conducted extensive fieldwork among indigenous tribes. His seminal work, “Tristes Tropiques,” published in 1955, is a literary and scientific account of his travels and research in Brazil. Lévi-Strauss’s theories focused on the underlying structures of human thought and culture, and he is best known for his analyses of myths, kinship, and totemism. He was a professor at the Collège de France and a member of the French Academy. His intellectual contributions have had a lasting impact on anthropology, sociology, and humanities in general.

5 Interesting Facts about Claude Levi-Strauss

1. Claude Lévi-Strauss conducted some of his most important fieldwork among the indigenous tribes of Brazil, particularly the Bororo and Nambikwara.

2. He was a founding figure in the field of structural anthropology, which seeks to identify the underlying structures that shape human cultures and societies.

3. His book “Tristes Tropiques” is considered both a scientific and a literary masterpiece, and it was included in Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century.

4. Lévi-Strauss was influenced by the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and applied linguistic theories to anthropology.

5. He was awarded the prestigious Erasmus Prize in 1973 and the Grand Cross of the Légion d’honneur in France.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Claude Levi-Strauss

1. “The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he’s one who asks the right questions.”

2. “I have never known so much naive conviction allied to greater intellectual poverty.”

3. “The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.”

4. “Language is a form of human reason, which has its internal logic of which man knows nothing.”

5. “The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Claude Lévi-Strauss did not accumulate significant wealth from his academic career. His net worth is not publicly documented, but his legacy is measured more in intellectual contributions than financial wealth.