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 IIYEAR 1811 · Entry 6153

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English Page · Branch 2372 of 4529

YEAR 1811 · Entry 6153

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 4743

10 mars.

La tête devient plus forte que l’estomach et attire tout à elle. Les esprits y abbondent et manquent à la digestion.

Les contrariétés et les contrastes. Les contrastes se font valoir, les contrariétés se nuisent. Dans les contrastes, il y a établissement et dans les contrariétés rupture d’équilibre. Les contrastes tempèrent et mènent au repos, les contrariétés au trouble. Les contrastes se font par des genres différens d’une même nature et les contrariétés par les genres opposés de deux natures différentes. Ceppendant les contrariétés peuvent n’être que des contrastes lorsqu’elles sont l’excès de deux natures opposées l’une à l’autre. Ainsi la vuë de la froide neige dans la souffrance des chaleurs. L’équilibre est établi par l’excès de l’un et de l’autre.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1811

p. 4744

March 10.

The head becomes stronger than the stomach and draws everything to itself. The spirits abound there and are lacking for digestion.

Contrarieties and contrasts. Contrasts enhance one another, contrarieties harm one another. In contrasts there is an establishment, and in contrarieties a rupture, of equilibrium. Contrasts temper and lead to repose, contrarieties to disturbance. Contrasts arise from different kinds of one and the same nature, and contrarieties from the opposed kinds of two different natures. Yet contrarieties may be only contrasts when they are the excess of two natures opposed to one another. Thus the sight of cold snow while suffering from heat. Equilibrium is established by the excess of the one and of the other.

T40.Spirits retains esprits in its bodily context, with their abundance in the head and lack for digestion. The passage is not converted into a modern physiological explanation. The source’s abbondent and estomach remain unchanged in French.

T188.Two physical paragraphs remain. Estomach retains h, abbondent double b, Ceppendant double p and différens its printed ending; the later différentes remains distinct. Vuë has a compressed diaeresis. The snow example is a nominal formulation without a supplied predicate, and the terminal masculine l’un and l’autre are not regularized from the preceding feminine nouns. Some left-edge strokes are abraded but remain sufficient for the qualified complete readings.

T41.Contrarieties retains the repeated technical contrast with contrasts rather than merging both into differences. The establishment and rupture concern equilibrium; the second lead is shared rather than repeated. Kinds renders genres in the paired classifications. The snow example remains nominal, and the final excess of the one and of the other preserves the unexpanded source wording and its relation to equilibrium.

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.