French Anthropology: History and Prospects

Abstract

When Claude Levi-Strauss passed away in 2009, his permanent absence from the philosophical, intellectual and anthropological arenas paved the way for a suitable opportunity for the scholars and critics of the history of science to shed more light on the intellectual and philosophical status in France. His absence also provides them with the occasion to accomplish a great deal of critiques and reviews on the trajectory of French anthropology. This essay intends to provide a critical review of the historical trajectory of this eminent school; a school which has left a prominent impact not only on the anthropological sphere but also on the entire human thought. As such, this essay intends to focus on some of the most historically important junctures in the course of history of French anthropology. It also draws the attention to the transformations that the school has gone through and the influential role which has been played by its grand personages in those transformations. In its epilogue, the essay draws further attention to what it envisages as the prominent features which have distinguished this school from other schools, and it focuses on what made its contributions notable and different.