DiotimosReading Desk

Space and movement

Sphere and circle

sphère; cercle; globe

This grouped family connects three distinct round forms: globe as a body, sphere as an encompassing domain, and circle as a geometrical boundary or figure.

From the book

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volumes I–II

Joseph Joubert · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordThis grouped family connects three distinct round forms: globe as a body, sphere as an encompassing domain, and circle as a geometrical boundary or figure.
  • In JoubertThe earth is imagined as a globe of fire dusted with a little matter and crossed by lines of water.
  • In this editionThe English translation preserves “globe,” “sphere,” and “circle” separately.
  • A place to beginThe terrestrial globe is described through fire, dust, and water.
English renderings
sphere; circle; globe

Meaning

This grouped family connects three distinct round forms: globe as a body, sphere as an encompassing domain, and circle as a geometrical boundary or figure.

Use in the book

The earth is imagined as a globe of fire dusted with a little matter and crossed by lines of water. A sphere of wisdom, by contrast, gives each mind a bounded competence: leaving it makes people foolish. The comparison of alphabetic and mathematical figures then distinguishes an indicated circle sufficient for the letter O from a perfect geometrical circle. Roundness can suggest wholeness, circumscription, or exact construction; the contexts do not make all three synonymous.

Places to read

  1. I, p. 149, entry 7, ¶1The terrestrial globe is described through fire, dust, and water.
  2. II, p. 784, entry 9, ¶1A sphere bounds the mind’s particular wisdom.
  3. II, p. 914–915, entry 7, ¶3An indicated letter differs from a perfect mathematical circle.

Translation in this edition

The English translation preserves “globe,” “sphere,” and “circle” separately. At II.914–915 [regular] and [the] qualify damage; [be] instead represents the source editor’s printed [soit]. Those different interventions are not interchangeable.

Roundness

French: rondeur.

Thought is said to possess softness by nature and roundness by perfection. The English translation preserves the physical quality rather than replacing roundness with completeness. The brief parallel does not identify a geometrical solid or imply that every perfectly finished work must have one shape.

Places to read: II, p. 552, entry 12, ¶1.

Source note

Beaunier 1938, I, pp. 149; II, pp. 552, 784, 914, 915.