Introduction to a Science of Mythology
In the second volume of Mitológicas, Lévi‑Strauss examines the myths surrounding honey and tobacco. He contrasts honey, associated with seduction, desire, degradation, and descent into a wild state, with tobacco, which burns, cooks, and symbolizes mastery of nature and a return to culture. Through this binary opposition he uncovers unexpected meanings, suggesting that civilized and primitive minds differ only in their expressive means, not in thought quality.