Joseph Joubert's legendary writings from 40 eventful and historically significant years encompass all literary forms of deep reflection on humanity, nature, and society, ranging from aphoristically sharp observations about human nature to short essays on political and philosophical fundamental questions. During his lifetime, this homme de lettres, gifted in friendship like no other, published none of his extensive thoughts – and even today, they circulate only among the initiated, for "those of us who love Joubert treasure him like a secret treasure," as Paul Auster puts it. Chateaubriand, who published the first collection of Joubert's thoughts from his estate in 1838, characterized him with the words: "He belongs to those people who are loved for their tenderness, their kindness, their demeanor, the uniqueness of their character, and the brilliance of their thoughts.".