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 II1812 · Entry 6318

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Facing Pages · Branch 2537 of 4529

1812 · Entry 6318

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5073

21 avril.

Entendement et « douceur de l’entendement »: Un entendement doux est patient, cherche à comprendre avec lenteur, se prête « à se laisser convaincre », évite de s’opiniâtrer, aime mieux être éclairé que dominer. Esprit doux et douceur d’esprit est autre chose. L’esprit doux nous rend faciles à contenter.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: 1812

p. 5074

April 21.

Understanding and “gentleness of understanding”: A gentle understanding is patient, seeks to understand slowly, lends itself “to being convinced,” avoids obstinacy, prefers to be enlightened rather than to dominate. A gentle mind and gentleness of mind are something else. A gentle mind makes us easy to content.

T84.Understanding and mind remain distinct; the slow pace and willingness to be convinced are not reduced to weakness. The two quoted spans, opening colon and following capital remain. Enlightenment and dominance retain their contrast; the final us remains. English plural are after gentle mind and gentleness of mind uses ordinary coordinated agreement, while the French singular est remains unchanged.

T424.The opening day reads 21 avril, with the leading 2 slightly abraded but identifiable. The mark after the first closing quotation has two separated blocks and is read as a colon. The following Un retains its capital. The two quotation boundaries, infinitive comparisons, singular est after the coordinated terms and final collective nous remain. Left-edge initials in ser, dominer and doux retain identifiable portions; no completion is supplied for the nominal opening.

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.