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 7519

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English Page · Branch 3738 of 4529

YEAR 1815 · Entry 7519

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 7475

[…]6 novembre.

Mʳ Rubichon. Il ravage l’histoire, il la détruit, mais il éclaire, parce que ce qu’il enseigne est indépendant de ce qu’il raconte.

Ce Mʳ Rubichon est un fou, très lumineux.

De l’Angleterre, par Mʳ Rubichon. Il y a dans ce livre de grandes erreurs historiques, mais beaucoup de grandes vérités morales; de grandes erreurs de mémoire, mais de grandes vérités d’intelligence. Les faits y sont dénaturés, mais la saine doctrine y est redressée. L’auteur s’y montre érudit ignorant, mais politique très éclairé. Son ignorance est lumineuse. Enfin, il boulleverse l’histoire, mais il l’éclaire (l’esprit).

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1815

p. 7476

November […]6.

Mr. Rubichon. He ravages history, he destroys it, but he illuminates, because what he teaches is independent of what he recounts.

This Mr. Rubichon is a madman, very luminous.

De l’Angleterre, by Mr. Rubichon. In this book there are great historical errors, but many great moral truths; great errors of memory, but great truths of intelligence. The facts are distorted in it, but sound doctrine is set right in it. The author shows himself in it an ignorant scholar, but a very enlightened political thinker. His ignorance is luminous. Finally, he overturns history, but illuminates it (the mind).

T363.The three repeated he clauses and teaches/recounts distinction remain. No object is supplied after illuminates, where the source has none; the paradox is not reconciled into a factual verdict on the writer. The November day retains only its final 6; no preceding digit is supplied.

T710.Only terminal 6 survives securely; earlier damaged/displaced traces do not establish an earlier digit or the original extent. All three physical paragraphs remain in this single unit. Each Mʳ has a small raised r, not an expanded title. The title alone is italic; its following comma and par are roman. Original-size color/native 373 show literal boulleverse with two l. The fool’s comma, repeated contrasts, semicolon, both grandes vérités sequences, the noun/adjective pairing érudit ignorant and final parenthetic l’esprit remain without grammatical repair.

T364.The demonstrative, very and luminous image remain with the source comma. The judgment stays separate as the second paragraph of the same unit.

T365.The French title remains italic and unexpanded. All four great terms, many, both error/truth contrasts and repeated in-it relations remain. Political thinker contextually renders politique as a capacity without assigning an office. English retains the pronoun before the source’s parenthetic the mind, which identifies the intended object without replacing the pronoun in the body. The historical assertions remain Joubert’s review of the book. The title’s following comma is roman; literal French boulleverse retains its doubled l.

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.