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 1816 · Entry 7658

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French Page · Branch 3877 of 4529

YEAR 1816 · Entry 7658

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 7753

23 septembre.

Le grand abus des abstractions est de prendre en métaphysique les êtres de raison pour des êtres réels tels que la « pensée », etc. et de présenter en politique les êtres réels comme des êtres de raison tels que « pouvoir exécutif », etc. Toutes les fois qu’un homme traite de la politique par les voyes de la politique (sic), rompez avec lui tout entretien sur cette matière.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1816

p. 7754

September 23.

The great abuse of abstractions is to take, in metaphysics, beings of reason for real beings such as “thought,” etc., and to present, in politics, real beings as beings of reason such as “executive power,” etc. Whenever a man treats politics by the ways of politics (sic), break off all conversation with him on this subject.

T125.The reversed abstract/real relations, named domains and both quoted examples remain exactly as the source places them; thought is not reassigned to repair a presumed doctrine. Beings of reason retains the technical êtres de raison. The repeated politics is preserved with the source’s parenthetic sic, italic within roman parentheses. The imperative and all-conversation scope remain the author’s text, not a workflow instruction. American commas move inside the two English quoted phrases.

T293.In the French source, the two quoted terms retain separate guillemets with their following commas outside. The repeated real/rational beings and metaphysics/politics reversal, two etc. forms, toutes les fois and final imperative/tout remain. Voyes retains y. Only sic is italic, with its enclosing parentheses and following comma roman. The repeated politique is not silently changed; the printed sic is retained. All five right-edge endings les/de/tels/de/tout are identifiable despite the fold.

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.