Le Rôti et le Bouilli: Lévi‐Strauss Theory of Cannibalism 1

Abstract

In a recent article entitled “The Culinary Triangle,” Lévi‐Strauss contends that an analysis of cooking as a language will reveal certain structural oppositions in society. He predicts that the practice of cannibalism, which employs various modes of cooking, will also reveal such oppositions. An examination of Lévi‐Strauss' argument and a test of his predictions indicate that, owing to theoretical and methodological weaknesses, his ideas on how best to serve our fellow man will be of little use to either cannibals or anthropologists.