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 1823 · Entry 8195

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Facing Pages · Branch 4414 of 4529

YEAR 1823 · Entry 8195

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8827

Rechercher? disoit-il. Je recherche beaucoup l’expression juste, je recherche beaucoup l’expression simple, je recherche beaucoup l’expression la plus convenable au sujet qui est mis en question, à la pensée qu’on en a, au sentiment dont on est animé, à ce qui précède et qui suit, à la place qui attend le mot.

Si vous parlez de naturel — il y a le naturel vulgaire, il y a le naturel exquis. Le naturel est ce qui est conforme à l’essence. L’habitude n’est pas nature; et le meilleur n’est pas tout ce qui se présente le premier, mais ce qui doit rester toujours.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1823

p. 8828

To seek out? he was saying. I seek out the right expression a great deal, I seek out the simple expression a great deal, I seek out a great deal the expression most suited to the subject under discussion, to the thought one has of it, to the feeling that animates one, to what precedes and follows, to the place awaiting the word.

If you speak of the natural — there is the vulgar natural, there is the exquisite natural. The natural is what conforms to essence. Habit is not nature; and the best is not everything that presents itself first, but what must remain always.

T27.All three I-seek-out repetitions and a-great-deal intensifiers remain, with the five relations and final waiting place. The unnamed speaker and imperfect saying remain. This paragraph crosses onto 912 without a new unit or date.

T108.Paragraph 1 continues directly from the final à on page 911 into la pensée on page 912, with no inserted punctuation. All three Je/je recherche beaucoup repetitions and the five successive relations remain. The first question mark and separate disoit-il sentence are printed; this reporting imperfect is not a unique habitual-tense assertion. Paragraph 2 begins at the distinct Si vous indentation on page 912. Both il y a clauses, dash, semicolon, habit/nature distinction and first/always contrast remain. All continuation starts and wraps are complete and roman.

T28.The conditional opening, repeated there-is and natural, vulgar/exquisite contrast, essence and habit/nature distinction remain. First versus always and must retain their force; the technical noun use of natural is deliberately not replaced by easy spontaneity.

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.