Marc Sautet, specialized in the writings and philosophy of Nietzsche, initiated the café-philo experience together with his friends. On Sundays he hosted philosophical debates for everybody at Café des Phares, Place de la Bastille in Paris.
It was the first café-philo in the world.
Founder of the “Cabinet de Philosophie” in 1992, Marc Sautet was also the pioneer of philosophical consultation in France. In the wake of his experiences, he published “Café for Socrates”, published by Editions Robert Laffont, which was translated into several languages. A Doctor of Philosophy, he taught in high school, university, and was a senior lecturer at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. He also wrote several books, among which “Nietzsche et la Commune”, “Nietzsche for Beginners”, and “Les femmes, de leur emancipation”.
Marc Sautet was a striking personality who left nobody indifferent; his piercing look revealed his great and original intelligence. Demanding of himself and others, he was an authentic and unaffected personality. A number of hosts, and those of today, have carried on his work at Café des Phares, and every Sunday morning direct the philosophical debates in the city. The debate begins and discussion circulate freely, so that everyone can contribute in playing a part in the philosophical structure that little by little takes shape. Subjects reach from boredom to dreams, duty or freedom, just like in a literary salon of the 18th century, but much more open and popular and without losing sight of a rigourous standard.
In only a few years, the café-philo idea has spread throughout the world.