Quiz for Evaluating the Evidence 16.3: Denis Diderot, “Supplement to Bougainville’s Voyage”

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1. How did the response of the elderly Tahitian man to Bougainville and his men differ from that of the majority of his fellow Tahitians?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is d. The elderly man foresaw the harm Europeans would do to his people and mourned Tahiti’s future.
Incorrect. The answer is d. The elderly man foresaw the harm Europeans would do to his people and mourned Tahiti’s future.
1. How did the response of the elderly Tahitian man to Bougainville and his men differ from that of the majority of his fellow Tahitians?

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2. What common European assumption was reflected in Diderot’s account of the Tahitians?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is d. While Diderot was sympathetic to the Tahitians, his own assumptions about native peoples were revealed when the elderly Tahitian declared “We are innocent, we are content, and you can only spoil that happiness. We follow the pure instincts of nature....”
Incorrect. The answer is d. While Diderot was sympathetic to the Tahitians, his own assumptions about native peoples were revealed when the elderly Tahitian declared “We are innocent, we are content, and you can only spoil that happiness. We follow the pure instincts of nature....”
2. What common European assumption was reflected in Diderot’s account of the Tahitians?

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3. What did Diderot’s description of Tahiti imply about European society and culture?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is a. Diderot suggested that the pursuit of wealth and luxury undermined the European quality of life.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Diderot suggested that the pursuit of wealth and luxury undermined the European quality of life.
3. What did Diderot’s description of Tahiti imply about European society and culture?