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 3297 of 3781
[On Voltaire.] · Entry 3297
French
p. 6593Chaque corps a son avant-corps. Chaque sens a son avant-sens. Le tact est celui du toucher, la pudeur est un tact de l’âme.
Chaque corps a son avant corps et chaque sens son avant-sens par un certain prolongement de sa volatile matière ou de l’organisation de sa plus subtile substance qui le transporte hors de lui-même et le fait être où il n’est pas, agir où il ne peut atteindre. — Cependant aussi susceptible d’être mû par ce qui est absent, s’il se rencontre dans la sphère de ses évaporations.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: [On Voltaire.]
p. 6594Every body has its forebody. Every sense has its foresense. Tact is that of touch, modesty is a tact of the soul.
Every body has its forebody and every sense its foresense through a certain prolongation of its volatile matter or of the organization of its subtlest substance, which carries it outside itself and makes it be where it is not, act where it cannot reach. — Yet also susceptible to being moved by what is absent, if it falls within the sphere of its evaporations.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · [On Voltaire.] · Entry 3297
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.