▁and ▁would ▁never ▁accept ▁any ▁discussion ▁on ▁this ▁point . ▁ ▁The ▁struct ural ist ▁approach ▁to ▁myth ▁ ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁sees ▁a ▁basic ▁par ado x ▁in ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁myth . ▁On ▁one ▁hand , ▁myth ical ▁stories ▁are ▁fant astic ▁and ▁un predict able : ▁the ▁content ▁of ▁myth ▁seems ▁completely ▁arbitrary . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁the ▁myth s ▁of ▁different ▁cult ures ▁are ▁surprising ly ▁similar : ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁one ▁hand ▁it ▁would ▁seem ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁a ▁myth ▁anything ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁happen . ▁... ▁But ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁this ▁apparent ▁arbitr ar iness ▁is ▁bel ied ▁by ▁the ▁ast ounding ▁similarity ▁between ▁myth s ▁collected ▁in ▁widely ▁different ▁regions . ▁Therefore ▁the ▁problem : ▁If ▁the ▁content ▁of ▁myth ▁is ▁cont ing ent ▁[ i . e ., ▁arbitrary ], ▁how ▁are ▁we ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁myth s ▁throughout ▁the ▁world ▁are ▁so ▁similar ? ▁ ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁proposed ▁that ▁universal ▁laws ▁must ▁govern ▁myth ical ▁thought ▁and ▁resolve ▁this ▁seem ing ▁par ado x , ▁producing ▁similar ▁myth s ▁in ▁different ▁cult ures . ▁Each ▁myth ▁may ▁seem ▁unique , ▁but ▁he ▁proposed ▁it ▁is ▁just ▁one ▁particular ▁instance ▁of ▁a ▁universal ▁law ▁of ▁human ▁thought . ▁In ▁studying ▁myth , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁tries ▁" to ▁reduce ▁apparently ▁arbitrary ▁data ▁to ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁order , ▁and ▁to ▁att ain ▁a ▁level ▁at ▁which ▁a