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 1814 · Entry 7198

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English Page · Branch 3417 of 4529

YEAR 1814 · Entry 7198

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6833

27 décembre.

Chercher dans l’histoire (des hommes) ce qui est vrai, ce qui ne l’est pas. Dans la politique, ce qui est bon, ce qui ne l’est pas. Dans la morale, ce qui est juste, ce qui ne l’est pas. Dans la littérature, ce qui est beau, ce qui ne l’est pas. Dans les matières religieuses, ce qui est pieux, ce qui ne l’est pas. En toutes choses, ce qui rend meilleur, ce qui rend pire.

Il s’agit en histoire d’apprécier les hommes. En politique, de pourvoir à tous leurs besoins de l’âme et du corps. En morale, de se perfectionner. En littérature, de […], de réjouir et d’embélir son esprit par les clartés, les figures et les couleurs de la parole. En religion, d’aimer le ciel. En toutes choses, de connoître et d’améliorer toutes choses en soi.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1814

p. 6834

December 27.

To seek in history (the history of men) what is true, what is not. In politics, what is good, what is not. In morals, what is just, what is not. In literature, what is beautiful, what is not. In religious matters, what is pious, what is not. In all things, what makes one better, what makes one worse.

In history, the task is to assess men. In politics, to provide for all their needs of soul and body. In morals, to perfect oneself. In literature, to […], to gladden and beautify one’s mind through the lights, figures and colors of speech. In religion, to love heaven. In all things, to know and improve all things within oneself.

T111.The initial infinitive and five elliptical continuations retain all positive/negative pairs. The parenthesis specifies men without inventing a particular history. Makes one supplies an ordinary indefinite English object to rendre, not a newly identified person; the final better/worse contrast remains.

T228.The complete date 27 décembre precedes two separately indented paragraphs. The first keeps all six domains, the parenthetic des hommes, each positive/negative contrast and the final better/worse distinction. The opening infinitive is not converted into a finite source statement. The bracketed ellipsis after En littérature, de in paragraph 2 is literally printed in the book, including its following comma. It is not a newly identified reproduction loss and no word is supplied. The repeated de clauses, soul/body pair, three optical nouns and final en soi remain. Literal embélir has a single l and an acute e; connoître keeps its qualified circumflex. All text is roman. Complete color 808 and original-size right-edge/native comparison make the page-edge letters identifiable at the qualified level. No additional lexical gap is introduced at the ordinary pour-/voir or per-/fectionner wraps.

T112.Assess takes apprécier as judgment of worth, not compulsory praise. The repeated In constructions, all their needs and both all things formulations, soul/body and final within oneself remain. The visibly printed source-editor gap after de stays […] without an invented infinitive. Lights and colors preserve the optical language of speech; no new date or paragraph is inferred from each field. The book itself prints the bracketed ellipsis and its following comma; this is not a new reproduction-loss marker. French embélir retains its single l and accent.

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.