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 2340 of 3781
[LOCKE] · Entry 2340
French
p. 467912 janvier.
Descartes. Ce qu’il dit des mailles du cerveau. — En effet, ils ne les connoissoient pas; mais, en leur donnant des noms, ils ont fait croire et se sont persuadé à eux-mêmes qu’ils les connoissoient.
Descartes. S’il avoit fait avec les mains et avec du bois d’aussi belles machines qu’il en a fait avec sa parole et la pensée, il eût été sans contredit le plus grand automatiste du monde. Son homme et son monde sont un monde et un homme machine. Il n’a pas été trop matérialiste, mais trop méchanicien.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: [LOCKE]
p. 4680January 12.
Descartes. What he says of the meshes of the brain. — Indeed, they did not know them; but by giving them names, they made others believe, and persuaded themselves, that they knew them.
Descartes. Had he made with his hands and with wood machines as beautiful as those he made with his speech and thought, he would unquestionably have been the greatest maker of automata in the world. His man and his world are a machine world and a machine man. He was not too materialist, but too much a mechanician.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · [LOCKE] · Entry 2340
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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.