Tres posh Monsieur le macon!
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Yes of course, you could have any number of good answers which could all be very different. As I could see from sitting with them for 4 hours to 5 hours and 20 minutes (2 get ⅓ more for a condition) they spent a lot of time thinking, making notes and then there was a concentrated burst of writing.
Productions went from 3 or 4 sides of A4 to 16 or 17.
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Thanks, how interesting !
My first thought, was that most English undergrads (never mind sixth formers in an exam) would struggle to write a well-constructed, well-balanced argument on either of the first two questions, Mind you, all the French C20th philosophers that I’ve read (apart from Barthes) seemed very anti-technology.
By contrast, the lengthy third question gives a framework one can use to structure a response.
Philosophy is a subject on the Open University’s Arts & Humanities foundation course that I taught on for many years and although it didn’t come up as an essay subject every year, whenever it did many students (and some staff) would be thrown into consternation!
The commentaire de texte is usually the safe option, as it were. Whichever question they choose they have to demonstrate personal thought backed up by proper knowledge. I think it is an excellent exercise, and that a year spent doing 4 hours a week is good. All lycéens have to do philosophy, it is compulsory.
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Whenever I hear or read anything about philosophy, I can’t but help think of Monty Python…
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Have you considered chains rather than downpipes?
I would love to do that but we get these mental Épisode cévenol here and, as you probably know, when these occur, it’s like West Coast Scotland driving rain x 100, the objective is to evacuate the water before it drives into the stonework.
I have to use the big 100mm D pipes and gutters to cope with the deluges.
Most of the water goes into an underground 40 m3 store for irrigation and if needs be, for drinking via a set of filters and and UV gizmo.
I save the chains for dragging lumber up hills though.
It’s looking like my plan for this week is a dash back to Scotland as my father has been hospitalised and my sister could do with some support.
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Sorry to hear that John. Hope all goes well.
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Sorry to hear that - hope your Dad is OK…
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Oh…hope all goes ok John
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I don’t think it’s life-threatening (though at 88 I guess most things are life-threatening to some extent) but we were going next week anyway and we’ve just pulled it forward a few days.
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Currently in Montréal. If I talk in French no problem. When they reply it’s almost incomprehensible!
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Hah, I lived in Ottawa for a few years and I arrived there thinking I knew some French. Was I quickly disabused of that notion.
My wife says that I also ended up speaking French with a Quebec accent.
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