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 6760

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English Page · Branch 2979 of 4529

According to Plato · Entry 6760

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5957

11 octobre (la nuit.)

Peu d’idées et beaucoup d’apréhensions; beaucoup d’émotions et […]u de sentimens. Ou si vous l’aimez mieux, peu d’idées fixes et beau[…]up d’idées errantes, des sentimens très vifs et point de sentimens […]nstans. L’incrédulité aux devoirs, la confiance aux nouveautés; […]s esprits décidés, des opinions flottantes; l’assertion au milieu du […]ute; la confiance en soi-même et la défiance d’autrui; l’ignorance […] la présomption. Tels sont les maux du siècle.

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

p. 5958

October 11 (at night.)

Few ideas and many apprehensions; many emotions and [few] feelings. Or, if you prefer, few fixed ideas and [many] wandering ideas, very lively feelings and no [constant] feelings. Disbelief in duties, confidence in novelties; [some] decisive minds, floating opinions; assertion in the midst of [doubt]; confidence in oneself and distrust of others; ignorance […] presumption. Such are the evils of the age.

T285.The initial contrasts and explicit reformulation remain; apprehensions is open to fears or an uncertain grasp. The French retains single-p apréhensions. [Few], [many], [constant], [some] and [doubt] contextually interpret peu, beaucoup, constans, des and doute from the damaged portions. The suspected loss before la présomption is not filled: its presence and extent are uncertain, so neither and nor another connector is claimed recovered. The nocturnal circumstance belongs to the printed date, not this prose.

T652.The day 11 is intact beside nonlexical margin strokes, and its nocturnal circumstance remains in the date. Apréhensions visibly has only one p. The clipped openings retain u, up after beau, nstans, s before esprits and ute. The preceding fragments do not certify complete lost letters. Before la présomption, the displaced line opening leaves a blank damaged slot, so the marker is only a suspected loss whose presence and extent are uncertain; no et or other word is recovered. The semicolon sequence and present conclusion remain.

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.