The Bac has begun!

[frenchani]

We had a big storm this morning. At 10:30 it was pitch black, as if Mordor had taken over Paris! It was quite an extraordinary "intro" for the first test of the Baccalauréat, beginning at 8:00: the Philosophy exam

Comments

[fragrantwoods]

It's the season for crazy storms! i'd hate to see that on the morning of a big test :-)

I'm very, very glad I'm no longer in school--this all sounds very brain-stretching. And that last topic is fascinating, as I think how that could be applied to writing fiction.

[frenchani]

And now it's all blue sky and sun shine!

And that last topic is fascinating, as I think how that could be applied to writing fiction. or to reviewing tv shows! ;- )

[long_roadtoruin]

I think the translation is just fine! :)

[frenchani]

Really?

[stormwreath]

So if I understand correctly, every schoolchild in France who doesn't leave school early has to answer two of those questions, from whichever stream they selected? This explains a lot. :)

And for the record:
L1 - Yes.
L2 - No
S1 - Yes
S2 - Yes
ES1 - *sigh* If I were a fascist I could answer this one monosyllabically as well ("All"), but instead I have to say, "Reciprocal obligations to enable it to fulfil its purpose of securing the rights and well-being of its members"
ES2- Sometimes.

[frenchani]

No every student had to choose ONE of three questions, two questions were to be answered in an essay-form paper whereas the third was a text they had to write a commentary about. I didn't provide the texts, only the two essay questions for each stream.

ES1, I bet that, given recent events, and aside from philosophical points they argued, many candidates mentioned taxes...

[stormwreath]

"What do we owe the state?"
"€2356.09 in back taxes."

That would be the literalist response. :) (Not that I'd expect 18-year olds to be paying tax yet).

As a historian rather than a philosopher, that strikes me as a question that's easier to answer by reviewing the various historical views of the State, since I'm pretty sure that any theory anyone taking the exam came up with would have been thought of before. And it's all very revealing of your political views.

(Though not necessarily so, I suppose. I remember once assuming that anyone who mentioned the Social Contract as a political theory would be a conservative, using it to justify respect for the established order and condemn revolution; then I read Rousseau...)

I'm surprised you didn't respond to the idea of language being "only a tool". :) (Though of course my answer would be "Rembrandt's paintbrush and Michelangelo's chisel were also only tools".)

[frenchani]

I'm surprised you didn't respond to the idea of language being "only a tool". :)

Don't expect me to respond to all your provocations! :- P

[sister_luck]

We don't usually get open questions like that - it's mostly all text commentary, but I remember a history exam paper from my time as a pupil that was just a response to a quotation.

I suppose that for the non-textbased ones the students are still expected to mention philosphers and theories and ideas that they base their answers on? I guess the problem is to formulate a response in the amount of time that you are given - there is so much to say on these topics!

(There is this - probably apocryphal - story about an exam asking "What is risk?" and the student handing in a piece of paper with only the word "This".)

[frenchani]

I suppose that for the non-textbased ones the students are still expected to mention philosphers and theories and ideas that they base their answers on? Of course it's expected. They have to show off!

And we have the same (obviously apocryphal) story in France!

[sister_luck]

Ha! I knew snopes would have something on this. Lots of one-word exam answers, but interestingly it's courage not risk in their version!

[frenchani]

It's "courage" in the French version too.