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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Facing Pages · Branch 434 of 3781
YEAR 1795 · Entry 434
French
p. 867Le soir.
Le ciel a fait toutes les vérités à deux faces dont l’une regarde les forts et l’autre regarde les faibles. Chacun d’entre eux lit ses devoirs sur le côté qui s’offre à lui. — Que si par la succession des temps ces médailles sont retournées et s’il arrive par exemple que les forts n’aient en face d’eux que le côté où sont écrits les devoirs des faibles, les faibles à leur tour et par une inévitable conséquence n’ont sous les yeux et devant l’esprit que les seuls devoirs des forts, et nul ne scait ce qu’il doit faire mais bien ce que doit faire autrui etc.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: YEAR 1795
p. 868Evening.
Heaven has made all truths with two faces, one facing the strong, the other the weak. Each reads his duties on the side presented to him. — Now if, in the succession of times, these medals are turned over, and if it happens, for example, that the strong have before them only the side on which the duties of the weak are written, the weak in turn, and by an inevitable consequence, have before their eyes and mind only the duties of the strong, and no one knows what he must do, but very well what others must do, etc.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · YEAR 1795 · Entry 434
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.