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.
Facing Pages · Branch 877 of 3781
YEAR 1797 · Entry 877
French
p. 17538-9 août, mardi.
Le monde est monde par la forme; par le fonds il n’est rien qu’un grain de matière. (Vid. supr. matière soufflée.)
En retirant son souffle à lui et en désenflant son volume, le créateur peut donc le détruire aisément. L’univers dans cette hypothèse n’auroit ni débris ni ruines. Il redeviendroit ce qu’il étoit avant le temps, un grain de métal aplatti (vid. supr.) et un atome dans le vide. — Ce monde n’est qu’un gros ballon.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: YEAR 1797
p. 1754August 8–9, Tuesday.
The world is a world through its form; in its substance it is nothing but a grain of matter. (See above: blown matter.)
By drawing his breath back into himself and deflating its volume, the creator can therefore easily destroy it. The universe, on this hypothesis, would have neither debris nor ruins. It would become again what it was before time: a flattened grain of metal (see above) and an atom in the void.—This world is only a large balloon.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · YEAR 1797 · Entry 877
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.