Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
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French Page · Branch 1998 of 3781
TRAVEL · Entry 1998
French
p. 3995[…]7 novembre.
Du besoin du beau, — naturel à certains esprits et devenu comme naturel à certains autres. Défauts de style dont il est cause.
Ce besoin du beau donne surtout l’habitude et presque la nécessité de mettre dans l’expression beaucoup d’art et de force lorsque la pensée ou le sujet n’ont par eux-mêmes aucun mérite qui les rende saillants. Avec ce caractère et cette tournure d’esprit on ne peut écrire simplement, naturellement que lorsque l’on a des pensées qui sont belles par elles-mêmes. Attendons-les donc.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: TRAVEL
p. 3996November […]7.
On the need for beauty, — natural to certain minds and become, as it were, natural to certain others. Faults of style it causes.
This need for beauty gives above all the habit, and almost the necessity, of putting much art and strength into expression when the thought or subject has no merit of its own to make it stand out. With this character and this turn of mind, one can write simply, naturally, only when one has thoughts that are beautiful in themselves. Let us wait for them, then.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · TRAVEL · Entry 1998
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Joubert’s notebooks return to the work of thinking and writing, the demands of friendship, and questions of faith, beauty and conduct. This edition pairs the French with a new English translation, preserving the order of the chosen source and the unfinished character of its fragments. Dates and source references allow readers to follow a thought through time or return to its printed context.
Historical Text and Translation
The French text follows André Beaunier’s 1938 edition of Les Carnets de Joseph Joubert, published by Gallimard from Joubert’s autograph manuscripts. Volume I presents the entries on printed pages 32–475. French and English are aligned paragraph by paragraph, retaining the source order, printed dates and page references so readers can return to the facsimile.
About Diotimos Editions
Diotimos Editions prepared this new English translation directly from the French, preserving Joubert’s distinctions, recurring images, ambiguities and unfinished thoughts. Translator’s notes clarify wording, references and uncertain readings: Essential keeps notes that help explain a passage, while All includes technical detail. Annotations from the 1938 source edition remain distinct from the new translator’s notes.
Rights
The linked facsimile records identify the French source as public domain in the United States. The new English translation and editorial notes are © 2026 Diotimos, with source annotations and new editorial contributions credited separately. This edition pairs the complete French notebooks with an independent English translation, preserving the distinction between Joubert’s text and its accompanying notes.