Wild thinking
Street, Wild thinking, and Bricolage are the key concepts explored in the book 野生の思考 by クロード・レヴィ=ストロース, translated by Hideo Ohashi. This book, which can be found on , is a groundbreaking work that sparked the structuralist movement in the 1960s and brought about the most significant transformation in the history of post-war thought in France. The term "Sauvage" (wild) is used to describe both the biases of Western culture and the resilience and strength implied by the term "wild" when applied to plants. The author utilizes the dual nature of "sauvage" to express a Copernican shift in the perception of primitive cultures through extensive anthropological research and scientific examination.
"Wild thinking" does not refer to uncivilized or barbaric thinking. It is a form of thinking that exists within the minds of all human beings, regardless of time or place. It can be particularly observed in societies without writing or the use of machines, but it is also present in so-called civilized societies, playing a significant role in everyday thinking.
"Wild thinking" is not characterized by disorder or chaos. It begins with observations that are often so precise and detailed that they astonish people, followed by analysis, distinction, classification, connection, and comparison. Just as nature has created countless forms of flora, fauna, and minerals, cultural phenomena such as myths, rituals, and kinship organizations created by humans are characteristic of the workings of "wild thinking."
This book not only contributes to the field of anthropology but also represents a revolution in the study of human beings. The author has been a professor of social anthropology at the Collège de France since 1959.
The book 野生の思考 is a must-read, and I need to buy it again tkgshn.icon.