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 8077

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Facing Pages · Branch 4296 of 4529

YEAR 1819 · Entry 8077

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8591

Toute la hauteur des sentimens des classes supérieures étant descenduë aux inférieures, quand la fortune et l’éducation étoient d’accord... Mais quand elles ne l’étoient plus... A moins d’une grande vertu... Et cette vertu nécessaire ne pouvant venir que d’en haut, la perte de la religion entraîna celle de la France.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1819

p. 8592

All the loftiness of the sentiments of the upper classes having descended to the lower, when fortune and education were in agreement... But when they were no longer so... Unless there were great virtue... And this necessary virtue being able to come only from above, the loss of religion brought about that of France.

T105.The dependent opening and following when/unless fragments retain all three printed ellipses. All, no longer, necessary and only remain; the direction from above and repeated loss are not replaced by a completed historical argument. French retains sentimens, descenduë with a qualified diaeresis, plain initial A in A moins, and the qualified circumflex in entraîna. Unless there were great virtue gives ordinary finite English wording to nominal A moins d’une grande vertu.

T212.The independent undated unit retains its dependent/elliptical constructions and all three printed ellipses. Descenduë has paired upper e components; A moins begins with a plain capital A. Entraîna has a compact peaked i mark at the qualified color level. Sentimens, repeated virtue, restrictive que and repeated loss remain. Des-/cenduë and d’ac-/cord are complete wraps.

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.