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 1819 · Entry 7994

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French Page · Branch 4213 of 4529

YEAR 1819 · Entry 7994

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8425

30 janvier.

Le caractère du philosophe (dans le vieux sens du mot) consiste à être homme de bien par son esprit, par sa raison. C’est un caractère d’esprit particulier. Il rend droit celui qui le possède, indépendamment des loix, des coutumes, des habitudes, des exemples qui rendent droits les autres hommes. Vir bonus ratiosinandi peritus.

Le sophiste est celui qui est aisément sage à ses propres yeux, et même plus sage que tous les autres, et qui se détermine, juge et agit hardiment par des raisons prises de la doctrine qui lui est particulière.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1819

p. 8426

January 30.

The character of the philosopher (in the old sense of the word) consists in being a good man through his mind, through his reason. It is a particular character of mind. It makes its possessor upright, independently of the laws, customs, habits and examples that make other men upright. A good man skilled in [reasoning].

The sophist is one who is easily wise in his own eyes, and even wiser than all the others, and who resolves, judges and acts boldly for reasons drawn from the doctrine peculiar to him.

T17.The old-sense parenthesis, repeated character/mind and two through phrases remain. The four external influences and repeated upright retain the distinction. The final Latin is freshly translated without substituting a more familiar maxim. The entire printed Vir bonus ratiosinandi peritus. is italic through the period. It visibly has s in ratiosinandi; French is not normalized. The whole fresh English maxim A good man skilled in [reasoning]. corresponds to that italic span. [Reasoning] is an English-only contextual emendation through the conjectured Latin ratiocinandi, prompted by reason and uprightness in the preceding French. The brackets do not mark lost image letters or a printed source-editor supplement, and do not certify the intended Latin form. No author or external maxim is assigned.

T18.Easily, own eyes, even/all and the three actions remain. Resolves renders the reflexive se détermine as forming a decision; boldly is not changed into rashly.

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.