Contending against ethnocentric biases, Lévi-Strauss attempted to defend the notion that the 'primitive' mind was anything but mentally inferior. He juxtaposed the 'primitive' mind of traditional societies against minds of the modern day and theorized that they, like us, are capable of disinterest. The man of traditional societies was, in his view, very capable of learning, thinking, and achieving incredible feats. However, these feats are limited due in part by our limited ability to develop a portion of our mental power. This portion is significantly altered not by ones race, but by their own environment. Therefore the 'primitive' mind was not inferior because of its birth, but simply different due to its
Contending against ethnocentric biases, Lévi-Strauss attempted to defend the notion that the 'primitive' mind was anything but mentally inferior. He juxtaposed the 'primitive' mind of traditional societies against minds of the modern day and theorized that they, like us, are capable of disinterest. The man of traditional societies was, in his view, very capable of learning, thinking, and achieving incredible feats. However, these feats are limited due in part by our limited ability to develop a portion of our mental power. This portion is significantly altered not by ones race, but by their own environment. Therefore the 'primitive' mind was not inferior because of its birth, but simply different due to its