More Than 500,000 French Students Sit 4-Hour Philosophy Exam

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 19

More than a half-million French 17- and 18-year-olds across France took the annual four-hour philosophy exam, choosing between two essay questions or analyzing a text.
This year’s prompts asked whether one can be happy when others are not and whether people control their words; the text option came from Friedrich Nietzsche’s 1878 book “Human, All Too Human.”
The test caps a required yearlong philosophy course and remains a national ritual, with broadcasters and newspapers live-blogging the questions and inviting philosophers to weigh in.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray, who opened exam packets at a high school, said the exam reflects France’s commitment to debate and examining opposing views at the center of education.

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