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Author: Claude Lévi-Strauss (France), translated by Gu Jiachen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Claude Lévi-Strauss is a retired honorary professor at the Collège de France, a member of the French Academy of Sciences, an internationally renowned anthropologist, the main founder of the French structuralist humanistic academic trend, and the only surviving member today among the original five "structuralist masters." In the French culture that highly values humanistic theory, the two "national ideological heroes" after World War II should be: the existentialist philosopher Sartre and the structuralist anthropologist Lévi-Strauss. The Chinese edition of the "Collected Works of Lévi-Strauss" (hereinafter referred to as "Collected Works") was published by the China Renmin University Press as the author approached his centenary, which holds multiple significant meanings. In short, the publication of the "Collected Works" marks the active development of Sino-French academic exchanges in recent years and an important academic achievement of China's humanistic and social sciences since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy. It also demonstrates that China has taken another step forward in aligning with the global academic community. Regarding the main themes and significance of the author's academic thought, the translators have introduced them in the postfaces of each book. Here, I intend to briefly discuss the position of Lévi-Strauss's academic thought in the broader Western humanistic and social sciences and its potential implications for the modernization of China's humanistic and social sciences. This book is one of the "Collected Works of Lévi-Strauss." Throughout the course of his life, the author has seen many paintings, listened to much music, and read many books. From the perspective of an ethnographer, he tells the story of how South American Indians create their unique artistic works through myths, thereby elucidating some fundamental principles of aesthetics, such as the aesthetic significance of painting content, techniques, and colors. He also uses specific melodies and singing as examples to explain the beauty and expressiveness brought about by changes in pitch. Additionally, he analyzes the aesthetic principles expounded in the works of Rousseau and Diderot, namely that beauty lies in perceiving various relationships. On this basis, from a structuralist perspective, the author elucidates the relationship between discourse and music, sound and color, and so on. In summary, through his own experiences of seeing, hearing, and reading various artistic works, the author, within the framework of his grand structural anthropology, explains the fundamental principles and principles of philosophy and aesthetics from different angles, such as imitation, representation, reproduction, passion, and the definition of "beauty." Therefore, it has a profound inspirational effect on researchers and practitioners in fields such as aesthetics, art theory, and linguistics, showcasing distinct features and academic value.