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 7397

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French Page · Branch 3616 of 4529

YEAR 1815 · Entry 7397

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 7231

24 avril.

Ce qu’on regrette de l’ancienne éducation, c’est ce qu’elle avoit de moral, et non ce qu’elle avoit d’instructif. C’est le respect qu’on avoit pour les maîtres et celui qu’ils avoient pour eux mêmes. C’est le spectacle de leur vie et l’idée qu’on s’en fesoit. C’est l’innocence de ce temps et la piété qu’on inspiroit à notre enfance pour les hommes et pour le ciel, bonheur de l’homme à tous les âges.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1815

p. 7232

April 24.

What we miss about the old education is what was moral in it, not what was instructive. It is the respect we had for the masters and the respect they had for themselves. It is the spectacle of their lives and the idea we formed of them. It is the innocence of that time and the piety toward men and heaven inspired in our childhood, man’s happiness at every age.

T227.The moral/instructive distinction, repeated It is and both directions of respect remain. The spectacle/idea pair is not made into proof of actual innocence. Piety preserves piété toward both men and heaven without narrowing it to institutional worship. The final happiness formulation remains appositional, with every age intact.

T587.The complete 24 retains identifiable curve/diagonal/foot and crossed 4 at the qualified color level. The repeated imperfect predicates, moral/instructive opposition, repeated C’est, plural maîtres and reciprocal respect remain. Eux mêmes stays unhyphenated and fesoit unnormalized. The moral/pour/tacle/temps/et line openings retain identifiable foreground letters at the softened margin. The spec-/tacle wrap is complete. The final happiness formulation remains nominal, with no additional verb.

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.