Pansies for Thought or the Transparency of «The Savage Mind» aims to discuss Claude Lévi-Strauss’s theory of mind in the year the great French anthropologists completes 100 years. It is a form of celebrating one of the most seminal literary and philosophical works of the 20th century, keeping in mind, besides the homage, the attainment of a critical viewpoint that may allow rethinking anthropology today through, precisely, one question: should anthropologists commit to the science of their day, in what terms, and in what manner? May we dare to think social and anthropological theories in the light of contemporary cognitive neuroscience, underpinning, in some way, a challenge launched by Lévi-Strauss? And will this imply dangerously naturalizing social and anthropological theories?

Biographic Note

Luís Quintais was born in 1968 in Angola. Anthropologist, essayist and poet. As an anthropologist he has come to work on cognition, biotechnologies and bioart. With essays published in several journals, we call attention to the essay on forensic psychiatry in Portugal during the first half of the 20th century, Franz Piechowski ou a Analítica do Arquivo (Lisbon: Livros Cotovia, 2005). Also has published the following poetry books:  A Imprecisa Melancolia (1995, Lumen), Lamento (1999, Cotovia), Umbria (1999, Pedra Formosa), Verso Antigo (2001, Cotovia), Angst (2002, Cotovia), Duelo (2004, Cotovia), Canto Onde (2006, Cotovia).
http://web.mac.com/luisquintais