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Supplément au voyage de Bougainville

work by Diderot

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The Supplément au voyage de Bougainville is a philosophical work by Denis Diderot, written in 1773. It uses Louis-Antoine de Bougainville's account of his circumnavigation of the globe as a framework to explore societal norms and morality.1

Diderot uses Bougainville's observations of Tahiti, particularly regarding sexual customs, to critique European society and its perceived repressions. The work questions the universality of moral codes and highlights the relativity of customs across different cultures. It serves as a satirical commentary on politics and social structures, contrasting them with the natural state of humanity as observed in Tahiti.12

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