7. The Political and the Institution of the Social

The chapter begins by setting the stage in the late 1940s and early 1950s, highlighting the significance of the year 1949 when Claude Lévi-Strauss published 'The Elementary Structures of Kinship', marking the birth of structuralism. It delves into the impact of Lévi-Strauss's work on the intellectual world, emphasizing the interplay between anthropology, structuralism, and Marxism. The text also explores the critique of structuralism by key figures such as Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Claude Lefort, who challenged the notion of a purely structural interpretation of society. The chapter concludes by examining the divergent views on power and the social between Michel Foucault and Lefort, offering a nuanced perspective on the ongoing debates in political and social theory.