Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
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Facing Pages · Branch 1459 of 4529
YEAR 1807 · Entry 5240
French
p. 291719 avril.
La politesse dans les manières et la barbarie dans les mœurs, la faiblesse par l’ignorance et la présomption par les succès, une imperfection de nature et l’excellence par emprumpt, des vices qui ont mille ans, des défauts éternels parce qu’ils sont de race, d’habitude et de climat, des vertus de culture, qui n’ont qu’un jour, et qui dureront peu, un peuple dont on a fait ce qu’il ne peut pas être et condamné à devenir ce qu’il étoit : tels sont les Russes.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1807
p. 2918April 19.
Politeness in manners and barbarity in mores, weakness through ignorance and presumption through successes, an imperfection of nature and excellence by borrowing, vices that are a thousand years old, eternal faults because they are of race, habit, and climate, virtues of cultivation that are only a day old and will not last long, a people made into what it cannot be and condemned to become what it was: such are the Russians.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II · YEAR 1807 · Entry 5240
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 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.