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 1819 · Entry 8007

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French Page · Branch 4226 of 4529

YEAR 1819 · Entry 8007

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8451

22 février.

Esprit. Le maître esprit et l’esprit ouvrier. Le maître espri[…] au dessus de sa matière, il la domine, elle est en lui, il la con[…] pour ainsi dire et la tient comme dans sa main, il en est maît[…] la taille, il en dispose et il peut même s’en jouer. L’esprit ouvrie[…] dominé par la sienne, il est dedans, il la fouille, il la creuse, il[…]profondit, il y pratique des ouvertures, mais il y reste empris[…] Le maître esprit est un orfèvre, un joailler, un architecte. L’e[…] […]uvrier est un mineur, un maçon dans une carrière. L’un met en œuvre, et l’autre exploite.

Le maître esprit est monnoyeur, orfèvre, joailler, architecte; l’esprit ouvrier n’est qu’un mineur, un maçon dans une carrière.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1819

p. 8452

February 22.

Mind. The master mind and the working mind. The master [mind is] above its material, it dominates it, the material is within it, it [contains] it, so to speak, and holds it as though in its hand; it is [master] of it, cuts it, disposes of it and can even play with it. The [working] mind [is] dominated by its material, it is inside it, digs into it, hollows it out, [goes deeper into it], makes openings in it, but remains [imprisoned] there. The master mind is a goldsmith, a jeweler, an architect. The [working mind] is a miner, a mason in a quarry. The one works the material into shape, and the other extracts it.

The master mind is a coiner, a goldsmith, a jeweler, an architect; the working mind is only a miner, a mason in a quarry.

T32.The opening fragments, paired minds, repeated material relations, so-to-speak/as-though qualifications and all occupations remain. Material is repeated in English where elle/la could otherwise confuse material with mind. [Mind is] broadly interprets espri[…] plus a conjectured lost predicate; intact master remains outside it. [Contains] interprets con[…]. [Master] interprets maît[…]; cuts it renders intact la taille under the shared English subject, without certifying a lost French il. [Working] and the separate [is] interpret damaged ouvrie[…] and a possible lost copula; intact esprit supplies unbracketed mind between them. [Goes deeper into it] is a broad contextual rendering of il[…]profondit, including intact verbal residue and a conjectured pronominal link; the continuing English subject is shared with its preceding verbs. [Imprisoned] interprets empris[…], with there rendering intact y outside the bracket. The later [working mind] jointly represents L’e[…] and […]uvrier across the page edge; The renders the intact article opening. These brackets disclose contextual readings, not exact French completions. The semicolon after hand replaces a source comma. The commas after contains it and master of it and the period after imprisoned there are supplied English punctuation at unresolved source slots. The final mettre en œuvre/exploiter contrast is contextual craftwork versus extraction, not moral exploitation. This paragraph continues onto 891 without a new break; the complete œu-/vre wrap has no additional loss. French au dessus is unhyphenated, and all prose and craft lists remain roman.

T140.The complete 22 governs two paragraphs. The first continues over 890/891; the separately indented Le maître esprit on 891 begins the second. No paragraph is inserted at the page edge and no repeated craft list is suppressed. The faded 890 residues are espri[…], con[…], maît[…], ouvrie[…], il[…]profondit, empris[…] and L’e[…]. None licenses recovery of lost predicates, pronouns or punctuation. Initial au dessus remains unhyphenated. The color/native 891 opening retains uvrier after an incomplete first oval, so […]uvrier is explicit; complete vre after œu- joins as œuvre without a new loss. The second paragraph’s prit after l’es- is degraded but identifiable; no extra gap is inserted there. Monnoyeur occurs only in the second list, with the restrictive n’est qu’un; singular un mineur/un maçon and the roman craft lists remain. All main text on 890 and its incoming 891 continuation is roman. The source specialist’s facsimile collation records the 890/891 right-edge losses, intact d/cer, literal embélit/insinuër, complete dates, incoming initial loss and two-paragraph ownership, with all stated individual reading qualifications retained.

T33.The separately indented reformulation remains a second paragraph; it is not merged with the preceding version. Coiner is added only here, where monnoyeur occurs, and only retains the restriction ne...que. The entire second paragraph is physically on 891 under the same complete 22 février date as the first. French monnoyeur and the unbroken, roman list are retained in the source; no extra gap or date is supplied.

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.