It is a rumor inseparable from the baccalaureate philosophy test, that of the student who obtained 20/20 with a simple answer to the question “what is audacity?”. Here is the possible origin of this urban legend.
It’s an old refrain that every year amuses or gives hope to baccalaureate candidates: three words that would have allowed a student to get 20/20 in philosophy. To the question “what is audacity?” a reckless student would have answered “that’s it” without further explanation on his copy. An act that instead of reflecting on audacity, puts it on stage. This stroke of genius evoked every year at the approach of the philosophy test or during the baccalaureate results has never existed, however, the Ministry of Education itself assured it at one time in its fair questions dedicated to the baccalaureate.
A rumor that has become a true legend of the baccalaureate, it has been mentioned every year for more than forty, and even sixty years, according to historian Thomas Snégaroff, who looked into the subject in 2019 and questioned by franceinfo And Raw. This story, which does not mention any date and does not identify the student who would have had the nerve or the flash of genius rewarded with a 20/20, is easily appropriated and relived year after year.
A caption from a movie?
The film The pawn from 1978 could be the origin of this rumor, unless the preexisting legend is itself inspired by the scene of the French film by Christian Gion? In this case it is during a French homework which questions the students on “what is risk?” that a student returning his paper in a few minutes does not obtain the mark of excellence, but a very good 18/20. How ? By simply answering: “The risk is that”. A “fantastic idea” according to the professor of the feature film, but which if it is carried out during a real exam will never be rewarded with the best possible mark.
The reputation of philosophy passing off the subject for a discipline that does not revise, even sometimes for a lottery where the marks are attributed at random, according to the appreciation and the sensitivity of the correctors, the rumor had more to facilitate to take root in the minds.
But philosophy evaluates the general culture and the ability of candidates to reason and reflect on subjects relevant to society and cannot be satisfied with this casual response, no offense to Christian Gion whose character seems to prefer action. on reflection: “The others spoke to me more or less intelligently (and rather less than more) about the risk, but you, you risked!” In 2023, it is therefore better to blacken your copy with a thought-out argument than to rely on daring. Especially since the chances are low for the subject to hold in this question: “What is audacity?”