Colloquium: Achille Varzi (Columbia University in the City of New York)

 Sartrean Experiences and Absence Perception 

One may wonder: Did Sartre really see the absence of his friend Pierre when he arrived late for their appointment at the café? Why didn’t Sartre see the absence of other people who were not there? Why did other people who were there not see the absence of Pierre? Did Sartre perhaps only see that Pierre was absent? Did he merely fail to see Pierre? I wondered about these questions, too. Now I think I have an answer. And the answer is that we need not worry. Pierre simply had an absence perception.