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 1815 · Entry 7224

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English Page · Branch 3443 of 4529

YEAR 1815 · Entry 7224

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6885

Fénelon et sa fade théologie. Les jésuites au moins sont francs et décidés dans leurs erreurs. — « Dieu (dit hautemnet Maldonnat) a prédestiné tous les hommes. » « Sectaire et non pas hérétique », dit Terillus, régl. des mœurs I. « Tout infidèle de bonne foi peut être sauvé », dit le P. Malène dans ses Curiosités utiles; et Casnedi (vid. loc.) « L’excès de foi, l’ignorance excusante ». Ils introduisirent des nouveautés dans l’église, cela n’est pas douteux; mais du moins des nouveautés qui souvent ne sont que douces et humaines et ils se déclarèrent inventeurs. (Il ne s’agit ici que de leurs erreurs purement dogmatiques. Ils en eurent de pires; mais, je crois, à bonne intention.) Fénelon, dans sa doucereuse rigidité, est au fonds plus sec et plus dur qu’un janséniste; et inovateur aussi, il réclame l’antiquité, la tradition constante. — Fénelon : il sait prier, mais non instruire.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1815

p. 6886

Fénelon and his insipid theology. The Jesuits at least are frank and resolute in their errors. — “God (Maldonnat says loudly) has predestined all men.” “Sectarian and not heretic,” says Terillus, régl. des mœurs I. “Every unbeliever acting in good faith can be saved,” says Father Malène in his Curiosités utiles; and Casnedi (vid. loc.) “Excess of faith, excusing ignorance.” They introduced innovations into the church, there is no doubt of that; but at least innovations that are often only gentle and humane, and they declared themselves inventors. (Only their purely dogmatic errors are at issue here. They had worse ones; but, I believe, with good intentions.) Fénelon, in his cloying rigidity, is at bottom drier and harder than a Jansenist; and an innovator too, he invokes antiquity, constant tradition. — Fénelon: he knows how to pray, but not how to instruct.

T5.The opening and quoted fragments, at least/often/only restrictions, two separate assessments of error, parenthetic I believe and concluding prayer/instruction contrast remain. Insipid and cloying preserve the distinct critical flavors of fade and doucereuse. Unbeliever renders infidèle in the religious context, and good faith does not assert doctrinal belief. The names Maldonnat, Terillus, Malène and Casnedi, title, abbreviated reference with Roman I, and Latin vid. loc. remain as collated, all roman. No authority or attributed teaching has been independently verified. Father renders P. Loudly contextually interprets the visibly anomalous hautemnet as the adverb hautement; the French retains hautemnet, and the English does not establish its intended reading beyond that interpretation. Printed inovateur also remains unchanged in French. There is no new paragraph at the 812 page turn.

T410.One paragraph crosses 811–812 and ends before the first star on 812. It keeps the four separately bounded quotations, first attribution parenthesis, later roman (vid. loc.), long parenthesis and both dashes. In the French source, the first quotation’s period is inside its guillemets; the final quoted fragment’s period is outside. The source references and titles remain roman, without an expanded author or exact external locus. Original-size color and native pixels distinctly read hautemnet, with m-n-e order after haute, not normalized hautement. Maldonnat has the printed doubled n; Terillus, Malène and Casnedi are retained literally. Régl. carries its acute and the following I. is a qualified capital Roman I with broad serifs, not an inferred volume title. Inovateur on 812 visibly has one n; fonds has s. The two past narrative verbs introduisirent/déclarèrent, parenthetic limitation to purely dogmatic errors, worse/better-intention qualification, comparative dry/hard and final knows-how/not-teach contrast remain. The color continuation’s right-edge letters and ordinary inten-/tion wrap are identifiable with reproduction limits retained. The bounded independent comparison agrees with the named spelling, punctuation and emphasis/date limits; all reproduction qualifications remain.

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.