▁relations ▁between ▁units ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁units ▁themselves . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁own ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁ident ities ▁that ▁arise ▁through ▁mar ri ages ▁between ▁tribes , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁relation ▁between ▁the ▁uncle ▁and ▁the ▁nep hew ▁was ▁to ▁the ▁relation ▁between ▁brother ▁and ▁sister , ▁as ▁the ▁relation ▁between ▁father ▁and ▁son ▁is ▁to ▁that ▁between ▁husband ▁and ▁wife , ▁that ▁is , ▁A ▁is ▁to ▁B ▁as ▁C ▁is ▁to ▁D . ▁Therefore , ▁if ▁we ▁know ▁A , ▁B , ▁and ▁C , ▁we ▁can ▁predict ▁D , ▁just ▁as ▁if ▁we ▁know ▁A ▁and ▁D , ▁we ▁can ▁predict ▁B ▁and ▁C . ▁The ▁goal ▁of ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ' s ▁struct ural ▁anth rop ology , ▁then , ▁was ▁to ▁simplify ▁the ▁masses ▁of ▁empir ical ▁data ▁into ▁generalized , ▁compreh ens ible ▁relations ▁between ▁units , ▁which ▁allow ▁for ▁predict ive ▁laws ▁to ▁be ▁identified , ▁such ▁as ▁A ▁is ▁to ▁B ▁as ▁C ▁is ▁to ▁D . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁identified ▁myth s ▁as ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁speech ▁through ▁which ▁a ▁language ▁could ▁be ▁discovered . ▁His ▁work ▁is ▁a ▁struct ural ist ▁theory ▁of ▁myth ology ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁explain ▁how ▁seem ingly ▁fant ast ical ▁and ▁arbitrary ▁tales ▁could ▁be ▁so ▁similar ▁across ▁cult ures . ▁Because ▁he ▁believed ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁one ▁" authentic " ▁version ▁of ▁a ▁myth , ▁rather ▁that ▁they ▁were