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 7941

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French Page · Branch 4160 of 4529

YEAR 1818 · Entry 7941

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8319

7 novembre.

Ils appellent « progrès des lumières » les progrès de l’industrie. Le progrès de l’industrie dans quelques-uns est anéantissement de l’industrie dans tous les autres. « A force de machines (dit très bien Mʳ de Bonnald) l’homme ne sera bientôt plus lui-même qu’une machine », un tourneur de manivelles.

Toute lumière vient de haut. Les marteaux, les enclumes, les règles, les compas, les récipiens et les cornuës ne sont point des chandelles, et moins encore des lumières.

On peut être instruit et très instruit, c’est à dire être dressé et très dressé à quelque art, à quelque industrie et n’être pas éclairé.

Le bâton même de l’aveugle l’instruit, le soutient, le dirige, mais ne l’éclaire pas.

Les lumières éclairent l’âme et rien de ce qui n’éclaire pas l’âme n’est lumière. Or, l’âme ne peut être éclairée que sur ce qui est spirituel comme elle, sur ses rapports, sur ses devoirs, sur les esprits, sur sa nature et sur ses destinations.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1818

p. 8320

November 7.

They call the progress of industry “the progress of enlightenment.” The progress of industry in some is the annihilation of industry in all the others. “With so many machines (as Mr. de Bonnald very well says), man himself will soon be nothing but a machine,” a turner of cranks.

All light comes from above. Hammers, anvils, rulers, compasses, receivers and retorts are not candles, and still less are they lights.

One may be instructed, and very instructed, that is to say, trained, and very trained, in some art, in some industry, and not be enlightened.

The blind man’s very staff instructs him, supports him, guides him, but does not enlighten him.

Lights illuminate the soul, and nothing that does not illuminate the soul is light. Now the soul can be enlightened only about what is spiritual like itself, about its relations, about its duties, about spirits, about its nature and about its destinations.

T204.The three uses of industry retain the relation between skill and mechanical production; some/all the others and the absolute annihilation remain. Enlightenment here translates lumières, whose literal light sense returns in the following paragraphs. The source spelling Bonnald and parenthetic attribution remain; no independently authenticated quotation is substituted. English moves the comma inside the closing quotation. Conventional English Mr. represents printed Mʳ with its raised r. The first sentence reorders the quoted expression and its objects into ordinary English; its sentence period consequently falls inside the closing quotation in American style. French Bonnald remains unchanged.

T417.The complete 7 governs five indented roman paragraphs. Mʳ has a raised r; Bonnald retains double n and the quoted A is unaccented. The French quotation closes after machine before the comma. The literal récipiens and cornuës remain, with paired upper e components supported by color/native 416 and qualified to the reproduction. The three industry occurrences in paragraph 1, some/all contrast, future restrictive plus…que and explanatory turner remain. Paragraph 3 ends with n’être pas éclairé and has no printed par/en complement after éclairé. The repeated instruit/dressé intensifications and all six sur phrases in paragraph 5 remain. The complete in-/dustrie, ma-/chine and spiri-/tuel wraps introduce no gaps.

T205.All six kinds of tools or vessels remain, together with the light/candles/lights progression and still-less comparison. Above is not silently expanded into a doctrinal identification. French récipiens and cornuës are retained literally; the small paired upper components of the e-diaeresis in cornuës remain qualified to the reproduction.

T206.The repeated intensifications, two fields and distinction between instruction and enlightenment remain. The final and-not predicate remains coordinated under may. French ends et n’être pas éclairé without a par/en complement; English likewise leaves the final enlightenment clause unqualified rather than supplying by it.

T207.Very carries the emphasis of même. All four verbs and repeated objects remain, preserving the contrast between practical guidance and light.

T208.The repeated light terms, limiting only and every about phrase remain. Destinations retains the plural ends toward which the soul is directed without supplying a specific afterlife doctrine. Itself and the possessives refer to the soul.

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.