Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
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Facing Pages · Branch 1574 of 4529
YEAR 1807 · Entry 5355
French
p. 3147Le bien et le mal dans le monde moral, la douleur et le bien-être dans le monde sensible, l’ordre et le désordre dans le monde intellectuel, l’erreur et la vérité dans le monde scientifique, la guerre et la paix ou l’agitation et le repos dans le monde politique, la corruption et la pureté dans le monde religieux, voilà les six grandes oppositions. Mais il faut remarquer que le bien ou le mal d’un de ces six mondes n’est pas toujours le bien ou le mal d’un autre. Ainsi le bien être, qui est le bien du monde sensible peut n’être pas toujours le bien du monde moral ou du monde religieux.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1807
p. 3148Good and evil in the moral world, pain and well-being in the sensible world, order and disorder in the intellectual world, error and truth in the scientific world, war and peace or agitation and rest in the political world, corruption and purity in the religious world: these are the six great oppositions. But we must observe that the good or evil of one of these six worlds is not always the good or evil of another. Thus well-being, which is the good of the sensible world, may not always be the good of the moral or religious world.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II · YEAR 1807 · Entry 5355
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 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.