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 1816 · Entry 7597

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English Page · Branch 3816 of 4529

YEAR 1816 · Entry 7597

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 7631

5 mars.

L’art ou le don de voir les choses invisibles quant aux substances ou quant aux modes, c’est ce qui fait les hommes d’esprit et les vrais métaphysiciens.

ou de se figurer, surtout les spirituëlles, telles que l’âme, Dieu, etc. comme la pensée, la mémoire, le jugement, etc. On dit jugement sûr, mémoire heureuse, une âme pure.

Le don de voir ou de se figurer les substances est fort supérieur à celui de se figurer les modes, dont il est plus facile de parler sans clarté, sans exactitude.

Métaphysique sans clarté est un lumignon sans lumière, une simple mouchure de chandelle.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1816

p. 7632

March 5.

The art or the gift of seeing invisible things as regards substances or as regards modes is what makes men of intellect and true metaphysicians.

or of picturing them to oneself, especially spiritual things, such as the soul, God, etc., as thought, memory, judgment, etc. One says sure judgment, a fortunate memory, a pure soul.

The gift of seeing or picturing substances to oneself is far superior to that of picturing modes, of which it is easier to speak without clarity, without exactness.

Metaphysics without clarity is a candle stub without light, a mere candle-snuff.

T46.Art/gift and substances/modes remain distinct pairs. Seeing the invisible is preserved as the paradoxical faculty, and true is not omitted. Men of intellect renders hommes d’esprit in this metaphysical context.

T230.Complete day 5 heads four physically separate paragraphs with no internal separator. Paragraph 2 begins lowercase ou; its suspended infinitive is not supplied a new subject or main predicate. Repeated se figurer, both modes/substances pairs, fort/plus degrees and repeated sans remain. Original-size color shows two distinct upper e-components in spirituëlles and a peaked upper mark in sûr. The complete right-edge substances/vrais/etc./sûr/à/sans and sim-/ple wrap require no reproduction gaps. All four paragraphs are roman.

T47.The lowercase or opening and the two linked lists remain within this separate paragraph. Them is ordinary English support for the object of se figurer. The compressed relation between substances and modes is not expanded into a newly stated system. Fortunate memory retains heureuse rather than equating it with a store of happy recollections.

T48.The alternative seeing/picturing, far-superior judgment, easier and both without phrases remain. The sentence does not substitute clarity for the source’s lack of clarity.

T49.The parallel clarity/light absence and the final material reduction remain. Candle stub selects the candle-remnant sense attested alongside wick end in the complete 1762 Académie Lumignon entry; the dictionary does not uniquely choose between those senses here. Candle-snuff renders mouchure de chandelle as the trimmed end of a candle wick, supported by the complete 1798 Mouchure entry. Both electronic entries were directly read by the literary specialist; no dictionary page image was inspected.

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.