Jean, a young Parisian philosopher, travels to Angoulême to take part in a recruitment competition for the National Education. On the bus, he meets two other candidates, Pauline, an unscrupulous young woman, and Luc Dunoyer, a brilliant specialist of Descartes. The presence of the latter, who has never failed an exam, makes Jean lose all his means. But Dunoyer has fallen asleep on the bus.