▁quarter ▁saw ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁exist ential ism . ▁The ▁phil os opher ▁Jean - Paul ▁S art re ▁conducted ▁philosoph ical ▁discuss ions ▁at ▁the ▁C afé ▁de ▁Fl ore . ▁These ▁" ca f és ▁ph ilo " ▁were ▁the ▁historical ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁S aut et ' s ▁c af és - ph ilo . ▁ ▁C afé ▁philosoph ique ▁▁ ▁S aut et ▁started ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁philosophy ▁c af és ▁in ▁the ▁Place ▁de ▁la ▁Bast ille ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Paris ▁at ▁the ▁C afé ▁des ▁Ph ares ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁He ▁would ▁gather ▁some ▁friends ▁at ▁his ▁" ca f é ▁ph ilo " ▁each ▁Sunday ▁at ▁ 1 1 ▁am ▁and ▁opened ▁up ▁philosoph ical ▁deb ates ▁(" con cept ual ▁f istic uff s ") ▁for ▁some ▁two ▁hours . ▁His ▁philosophy ▁was ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁basic ▁principles ▁of ▁reasoning ▁intended ▁for ▁the ▁general ▁public , ▁not ▁arist ocr ats . ▁The ▁first ▁meet ings ▁started ▁with ▁only ▁a ▁dozen ▁or ▁so ▁people . ▁So on ▁university ▁students ▁showed ▁up , ▁followed ▁by ▁ecc ent ric ▁citizens ▁off ▁the ▁street , ▁off - d ut y ▁cab ▁drivers , ▁and ▁idle ▁wealth y ▁women . ▁This ▁became ▁a ▁week ly ▁event ▁that ▁grew ▁in ▁popular ity ▁to ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 ▁people ▁at ▁each ▁meeting . ▁S aut et ▁returned ▁philosophy ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁in ▁C afé ▁Philosoph ique . ▁In ▁so ▁doing