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 1815 · Entry 7280

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English Page · Branch 3499 of 4529

YEAR 1815 · Entry 7280

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6997

13 février.

Fort, fortement. — « Un fort théologien, un fort métaphysicien. » J’aimerois presque autant entendre dire : un fort poëte.

Avoir fortement des idées, ce n’est rien. L’important est d’avoir des idées fortes, c’est à dire où il y a une grande force de vérité. La vérité ni sa force ne dépendent point de la tête d’un homme. On appelle un homme fort celui qui tient tête aux objections. Mais ce n’est là qu’une force d’attitude Un trait obtus lancé d’une main forte (comme un bâton) peut frapper fortement. C’est qu’ici on va du corps au corps. Mais de forts poumons et un fort entêtement ne donneront point de vraie efficacité à une raison faible fortement dite, parce que là, l’esprit seul va à l’esprit. Concevoir fortement une idée même faible lui donne de la force (quoique l’avoir fortement ne lui en donne pas) parce qu’il y a dans le premier [cas] la force d’une opération spirituelle, au lieu que dans le second cas elle ne vient que de l’organe et ne peut agir par conséquent que sur d’autres organes.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1815

p. 6998

February 13.

Strong, strongly. — “A strong theologian, a strong metaphysician.” I would almost as gladly hear it said: a strong poet.

To have ideas strongly, that is nothing. What matters is to have strong ideas, that is, ideas in which there is a great strength of truth. Neither truth nor its strength depends on a man’s head. A strong man is what we call someone who stands up to objections. But that is only a strength of posture. A blunt dart thrown by a strong hand (like a stick) can strike strongly. That is because here one goes from body to body. But strong lungs and strong obstinacy will give no true efficacy to a weak argument strongly uttered, because there, mind alone goes to mind. To conceive an idea strongly, even a weak one, gives it strength (although to have it strongly does not), because in the first [case] there is the strength of a spiritual operation, whereas in the second case it comes only from the organ and can therefore act only on other organs.

T78.The adjective/adverb opening, both quoted professions and the unquoted poet comparison remain. Almost retains its degree. The repeated strong is not replaced by different synonyms that would erase the lexical experiment.

T466.Two paragraphs remain one unit under the complete date 13 février. The first retains the opening fragment/dash, one complete quotation, present conditional aimerois, presque autant, colon and poëte with paired upper e components at the qualified color level. Only un homme fort in paragraph 2 is italic; its surrounding text, the earlier quotation and printed editorial [cas] are roman. C’est à dire is spaced without supplied hyphens. The actual La vérité ni sa force construction is retained without supplying a first ni. The original-size color crop shows attitude followed directly by capital Un, with no discernible terminal mark in the intervening space. No period is added to the French source and no authorial intention is inferred from this reproduced absence. Both parentheses, repeated fort/force/fortement forms and all restrictive and negative constructions remain. The fai-/ble and or-/gane wraps are complete. The bounded independent original-size color comparison agrees with the named punctuation, demonstrative, emphasis and upper-mark targets and incoming 819 boundaries; their readings remain confined to the displayed color evidence, without a new native DjVu claim.

T79.The repeated strong/strongly/strength root preserves the sustained distinction between forceful possession and ideas with force of truth. Have and conceive remain different acts, even where the English is unusual. Head, posture, dart, hand, stick, lungs and organs remain concrete. The first [case] mirrors the printed source-editor [cas]; the later case is intact. A strong man requires the source italic counterpart. The full stop after posture is an English division at the visible source join attitude Un; the source collation finds no discernible punctuation in that space, without asserting an authorial intention. Both restrictive only terms at the end and the organ/other-organs distinction 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.