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 1818 · Entry 7935

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Facing Pages · Branch 4154 of 4529

YEAR 1818 · Entry 7935

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8307

Des lumières (en littérature). Les lumières éclairent l’âme et tout ce qui n’éclaire pas l’âme n’est pas lumière. L’âme ne peut être éclairée que sur ce qui lui est analogue, sur les êtres et les rapports spirituels comme elle, sur sa nature, ses devoirs.

Un habile chimiste, machiniste, anatomiste, agronomiste, etc. n’est pas éclairé par son espèce de scavoir : il n’est qu’instruit, c’est à dire dressé, exercé, rendu apte ou habile à un exercice particulier. Les enclumes, les marteaux, les scalpels, les récipiens, les cornuës, ni même des charruës ne sont pas des chandelles.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1818

p. 8308

Of lights (in literature). Lights illuminate the soul, and anything that does not illuminate the soul is not light. The soul can be enlightened only about what is analogous to it, about beings and relations spiritual like itself, about its nature, its duties.

A skilled chemist, machinist, anatomist, agronomist, etc. is not enlightened by his kind of knowledge: he is only instructed, that is to say, trained, exercised, made apt or skilled in a particular exercise. Neither anvils, hammers, scalpels, receivers, retorts, nor even plows are candles.

T196.Lights preserves the concrete light metaphor within lumières, which also signifies intellectual enlightenment. The singular/plural shift and repeated illuminate remain. The soul is the antecedent of itself and both possessives; the final duties remains without an added conjunction.

T411.Two roman paragraphs remain separate. The complete éclai-/rée and spiri-/tuels wraps introduce no gaps. All negatives, restrictive que forms, analogy and soul pronouns remain; no conjunction is inserted before ses devoirs. Literal scavoir/récipiens and the e-diaereses of cornuës/charruës remain; paired upper components are supported by color/native 415 with reproduction-level contour qualification. The first list has four occupations and the second six tools/vessels, including ni même des charruës.

T197.All occupations, limiting only, training terms and instruments remain. Receivers and retorts are laboratory vessels in this context. English neither/nor carries the complete French ni…ne…pas negative construction, contrasting tools with candles without omitting even plows. French scavoir and récipiens remain literal; the e-diaereses in cornuës and charruës are retained with their small contours qualified to the reproduction.

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.