Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition

Joseph Joubert

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II

Name: The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II
Author: Joseph Joubert

Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.

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The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume IIAccording to Plato · Entry 6786

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English Page · Branch 3005 of 4529

According to Plato · Entry 6786

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6009

[…] octobre.

De la simplicité de goût, ou Du goût simple (en littérature). Dans […] goût alimentaire, elle consiste (cette simplicité) à n’aimer que les […]ets très simples c’est à dire ceux qui sont agréables par eux mêmes […] seuls ou avec peu d’assaisonnement, comme le lait, les œufs, les […]gumes, les fruits et les grosses viandes. Dans le goût littéraire, la […]mplicité consiste également [à aimer] ce qui plaît par soi-même […] avec peu d’ornemens.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: According to Plato

p. 6010

October […].

Of simplicity of taste, or Of simple taste (in literature). In [the] taste for food, it consists (this simplicity) in liking only very simple [dishes], that is, those agreeable in themselves, [and] on their own or with little seasoning, such as milk, eggs, [vegetables], fruits and butcher’s meats. In literary taste, [simplicity] likewise consists [in liking] what pleases by itself [or] with few adornments.

T317.The two Of openings, parenthetic self-explanation, list and food/literature analogy remain. Butcher’s meats renders grosses viandes: the directly read Académie 1798 Viande entry identifies grosse viande with butcher’s meat, including beef, mutton and veal, rather than large portions or poor-quality meat. The printed source-editor [à aimer] corresponds to [in liking]. [The], [dishes], [and], [vegetables], [simplicity] and [or] interpret le, mets, et, légumes, simplicité and ou from the separate reproduction losses. The connector before seuls is contextual and retains the source’s repetition of agreeable in themselves and on their own; it is not a recovered word.

T676.The damaged day has no complete numeral. The source-supplied [à aimer] is distinct from new reproduction-loss markers. The incomplete openings before goût, ets, seuls, gumes, mplicité and avec are not filled; the g of gumes is retained with its clipped upper-left contour qualified. The second Du is capitalized. The nominal opening, restrictive ne…que, repeated simplicity and two food/literature relations remain. Eux mêmes is unhyphenated here; soi-même has its hyphen.

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 II continues the notebooks and includes seventy undated pieces. 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.