Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
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French Page · Branch 1268 of 3781
YEAR 1799 · Entry 1268
French
p. 25352 mars.
La force de communication — ou — de la faculté et de la facilité de se communiquer. — C’est-à-dire de changer les autres en soi, de faire entrer ses pensées dans leur esprit et ses sentimens dans leurs âmes, de les animer de son feu, de leur donner son mouvement en sorte qu’ils le perpétuent, de les charmer, d’imprimer en eux ses prestiges, de disposer tellement d’eux que malgré les différences de climat et de tempéramment ils voyent toutes choses comme nous les voyons et imaginent le monde tel que nous même l’imaginons. Le grand moyen de posséder cette puissance est etc...
Voltaire et Rousseau. Voltaire leur communique son humeur et J.-J. leur communique sa vertu. — Son humeur, sa mobilité, le premier. Le monde qu’il remuoit trop fortement, le second l’a rendu rassis.
Il est une force de communication étoffée et palpable comme est celle du feu terrestre; il en est une subtile, fine, dont l’existence se fait sentir et ne se montre pas, comme est celle de l’éther dans l’électre. Par la première, on communique ses passions, par la seconde sa sagesse.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: YEAR 1799
p. 2536March 2.
The force of communication — or — of the faculty and ease of communicating oneself. — That is, of changing others into oneself, of bringing one’s thoughts into their mind and one’s feelings into their souls, of animating them with one’s fire, of giving them one’s movement so that they perpetuate it, of charming them, of imprinting one’s enchantments in them, of having such command over them that, despite differences of climate and temperament, they see all things as we see them and imagine the world as we ourselves imagine it. The great means of possessing this power is etc...
Voltaire and Rousseau. Voltaire communicates his mood to them and J.-J. communicates his virtue. — His mood, his mobility, the first. The world that he stirred too violently, the second has made settled.
There is a force of communication with substance and palpability, like that of earthly fire; there is another, subtle, fine, whose existence makes itself felt and does not show itself, like that of ether in amber. Through the first one communicates one’s passions, through the second one’s wisdom.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · YEAR 1799 · Entry 1268
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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 I presents the entries on printed pages 32–475. 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.