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 1810 · Entry 6068

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English Page · Branch 2287 of 4529

YEAR 1810 · Entry 6068

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 4573

1ᵉʳ mars.

Les théâtres doivent divertir noblement, mais ne doivent que divertir. Vouloir en faire une école de morale, c’est corrompre à la fois la morale et l’art. Une morale héroïque et poëtique peut y avoir son utilité et certainement son agrément. Mais la morale usuelle, si on l’enseigne sur ces tréteaux, en contracte je ne scais quoi de comique ou de tragique qui en fait un verbiage de comédien. Etaler cette morale sur les théâtres, c’est la bannir de la vie. Car quel homme de goût, quel honnête homme veut parler comme un comédien et agir d’après les règles d’une pièce?

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1810

p. 4574

March 1.

Theaters ought to entertain nobly, but ought only to entertain. To wish to make them a school of morals is to corrupt both morals and art at once. A heroic and poetic morality may have its use there, and certainly its charm. But everyday morality, if one teaches it on these boards, acquires from them I know not what of the comic or tragic that turns it into an actor’s verbiage. To display this morality in theaters is to banish it from life. For what man of taste, what honorable man wishes to speak like an actor and act according to the rules of a play?

T44.The repeated entertain retains the restriction ought only to entertain. Everyday morality renders morale usuelle in contrast to heroic and poetic morality. These boards keeps the theatrical image of tréteaux. I know not what preserves the speaker’s indefinite formulation; actor’s verbiage remains disparaging without supplying a particular play. Man of taste and honorable man retain the paired descriptions, and display and banish preserve the contrast between theater and life.

T136.The date’s er is raised. Scais has no certified cedilla in the enlarged facsimile; poëtique retains its diaeresis. Several opening strokes at the left edge are abraded but remain identifiable in divert-/tir, utilité, l’enseigne, ou, goût and d’après; these complete readings remain qualified. The restriction ne...que and both rhetorical domains remain. No acute is certified over the capital E of Etaler.

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.