▁Mind ▁discuss es ▁not ▁just ▁" prim itive " ▁thought , ▁a ▁category ▁defined ▁by ▁previous ▁anth rop olog ists , ▁but ▁also ▁forms ▁of ▁thought ▁common ▁to ▁all ▁human ▁be ings . ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁l ays ▁out ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ' s ▁theory ▁of ▁culture ▁and ▁mind , ▁while ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁exp ands ▁this ▁account ▁into ▁a ▁theory ▁of ▁history ▁and ▁social ▁change . ▁This ▁latter ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁engaged ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁in ▁a ▁he ated ▁debate ▁with ▁Jean - Paul ▁S art re ▁over ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁human ▁freedom . ▁On ▁the ▁one ▁hand , ▁S art re ' s ▁exist ential ist ▁philosophy ▁committed ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁position ▁that ▁human ▁be ings ▁fund ament ally ▁were ▁free ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁they ▁pleased . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁S art re ▁also ▁was ▁a ▁left ist ▁who ▁was ▁committed ▁to ▁ideas ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁individuals ▁were ▁const rained ▁by ▁the ▁ide ologies ▁im posed ▁on ▁them ▁by ▁the ▁powerful . ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁presented ▁his ▁struct ural ist ▁notion ▁of ▁ag ency ▁in ▁opposition ▁to ▁S art re . ▁E cho es ▁of ▁this ▁debate ▁between ▁struct ural ism ▁and ▁exist ential ism ▁eventually ▁inspired ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁younger ▁authors ▁such ▁as ▁Pierre ▁Bour d ieu . ▁ ▁Now ▁a ▁world wide ▁celebr ity , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁spent ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁working