Before Claude Levi-Strauss, Western thinkers often used totemic phenomena to illustrate the supposed primitiveness of indigenous peoples. In his work "Totemism Today," Levi-Strauss aims to dismantle this perception. Previously, studies of these societies were pejoratively termed as "the study of uncivilized peoples." Levi-Strauss reframes this to "the study of peoples without written language," seeking to demonstrate that totemic thinking — the process of selecting a particular animal or object as a totem — is not a mark of irrationality. The choice of animals is based on binary contrasts, a need to differentiate themselves from the natural world by positioning these animals as symbols. Totemic thought, he argues, is as logical as Western thought.
Levi-Strauss criticizes the Western tendency to exaggerate the differences with other cultures, a practice often rooted in self-glorification. He notes that societies often define their normalcy by contrasting it with perceived madness, a phenomenon he sees mirrored in Western attitudes towards non-Western cultures.
Levi-Strauss revolutionizes anthropological methodology, shifting from studying "primitive tribes" to a systematic analysis of myth structures and their internal relational dynamics. He posits that such systems are universal across human cultures, transcending historical and cultural divides. The primary role of myths, particularly totemic myths, is to mediate the tensions between opposing realities. Myths and their derivative stories are tools for navigating existential contradictions. Levi-Strauss explores the dichotomy between nature and culture through theories of familial and communal exchanges.
The totemism phenomenon, linking animals, concepts, or plants with communal groups through feelings of reverence and identification, is not merely a psychological or local occurrence. Levi-Strauss challenges interpretations of totemism as a primitive, religious phenomenon, suggesting instead that culture's role is to impose order over chaos, thus sustaining societal continuity.
Levi-Strauss references various anthropological studies on totemism, such as Linton's work on symbolism in the US military. He argues that cultural practices, rather than totemism itself, play a more significant role in social organization. Totemism, according to Levi-Strauss, represents cultural intervention in nature, aimed at structuring social systems. This intervention, motivated by economic reciprocity, sustains community cohesion and prevents familial monopolization of social power.
The totem, varying in form but consistent in essence across societies, facilitates communal identity. Contrary to being a product of religious anxiety, it is the totem that generates this anxiety, underpinning communal discipline. For Levi-Strauss, the totem remains a vital aspect of human association, its structure inherent to human society. He views myth as a cognitive tool for interpreting natural phenomena, evolving into subjective consciousness over time. Totemism, similarly, is not an inherent construct but a culturally created unit.
Levi-Strauss also addresses the "totemic illusion," a concept he describes as a semantic distortion within the same category of phenomena. The perceived value of these phenomena results from an erroneous interpretation of reality, which he argues is not an inherent characteristic.