Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
Explore the LexiconSwipe or use the arrow keys.
English Page · Branch 2736 of 3781
YEAR 1803 · Entry 2736
French
p. 5471Vogue des livres, goût des siècles. Même ce qui est ancien est exposé aux variations de la mode. Corneille et Racine, Virgile et Lucain, Sénèque et Cicéron, Tacite et Tite Live, Aristote et Platon, n’ont eu la palme que par tour. Que dis-je? dans la même vie selon les âges, dans la même année selon les saisons, et quelquefois dans le même jour selon les heures, nous préférons un livre à l’autre, un style à un autre style, un esprit à un autre esprit.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: YEAR 1803
p. 5472The vogue of books, the taste of centuries. Even what is ancient is subject to the changes of fashion. Corneille and Racine, Virgil and Lucan, Seneca and Cicero, Tacitus and Livy, Aristotle and Plato, have held the palm only by turns. What am I saying? in the same life according to our age, in the same year according to the seasons, and sometimes in the same day according to the hours, we prefer one book to another, one style to another style, one mind to another mind.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · YEAR 1803 · Entry 2736
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.