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 1821 · Entry 8147

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French Page · Branch 4366 of 4529

YEAR 1821 · Entry 8147

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8731

L’esprit né pour les découvertes : il sent le vrai comme le chie[…] sent le gibier. L’esprit né pour les découvertes est différent de l’espri[…] né pour les systhèmes. Le premier voit par inspection, et l’autre pa[…] combinaison, vimina texit, par entremetement, par contexture.

Systhèmes. Toiles d’araignée. Au moins, quand les fils sont d[…] soye... (Des toiles d’araignées faites avec des fils de soye.)

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1821

p. 8732

The mind born for discoveries: it scents truth as the [dog] scents game. The mind born for discoveries differs from the [mind] born for systems. The former sees by inspection, and the other [by] combination, weaves osiers, by interweaving, by intertexture.

Systems. Spiderwebs. At least, when the threads are silk... (Spiderwebs made with silk threads.)

T44.The repeated mind-born and scent analogy remain, with the former/other distinction. [Dog], the later [mind] and [by] are contextual whole-word readings of chie[…], espri[…] and pa[…]; the visible preceding articles remain outside the English brackets, and no lost French ending is certified. Weaves osiers freshly translates vimina texit in the surrounding present-tense context; no external Latin source is used. Only weaves osiers and its following comma are italic, corresponding to vimina texit, including the source comma. Interweaving/intertexture retain the sequence rather than reducing it to combination. French preserves literal systhèmes and entremetement.

T126.The right edge retains chie, espri, pa and d, followed by incomplete or absent foreground contours; no full missing ending is certified. Both color and native 438 retain these limits. The discovery/system contrast, repeated scent relation and uncompleted quand construction remain. Literal systhèmes/Systhèmes, entremetement and soye remain. In the French source, only vimina texit, is italic, through the comma. The three points after soye are printed ellipsis, distinct from current loss markers; the complete parenthesis is roman.

T45.All nominal fragments, the dependent at-least condition, ellipsis and full parenthetic reformulation remain. No missing consequence is supplied. French d[…] before soye is incomplete. Its contextual relation is integrated into threads are silk, so it has no separate English word to bracket; this does not certify a lost French ending. Literal Systhèmes and soye remain in French. The three points after soye are printed ellipsis, not a reproduction gap, and the parenthesis is entirely roman.

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.