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 8037

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Facing Pages · Branch 4256 of 4529

YEAR 1819 · Entry 8037

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8511

24 mars.

La vérité ne vient pas de nous et ne peut pas venir de nous, mais de Dieu ou des esprits amis de Dieu et auxquels sa lumière à lui (dans tout ce qui est spirituel) et des choses où Dieu l’a mise (dans tout ce qui est matériel). Il faut donc consulter Dieu, les âmes sages et son propre esprit pour tout ce qui est spirituel, et fouiller dans le fonds des choses pour tout ce qui est matériel.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1819

p. 8512

March 24.

Truth does not come from us and cannot come from us, but from God or from minds that are friends of God and to whom his own light (in all that is spiritual), and from the things where God has put it (in all that is material). One must therefore consult God, wise souls and one’s own mind for all that is spiritual, and dig into the depths of things for all that is material.

T64.The initial negative and impossibility remain separately, with both full parentheses and repeated spiritual/material distinction. The canonical et auxquels sa lumière à lui has no finite verb; the deliberately incomplete English and to whom his own light supplies none and does not imply a reproduction gap. Only his own light corresponds to the italic sa lumière à lui; the parenthesis is roman. English supplies the comma after the first parenthesis. The single paragraph continues onto 894 with propre esprit, and therefore, both final spiritual/material relations and the digging image remain. French retains fonds with its final s.

T170.The complete 24 and separate negative/impossibility remain. The printed et auxquels sa lumière à lui has no finite verb; no missing verb is supplied and no reproduction gap is inferred. In the French source, only sa lumière à lui is italic; the parenthesis and surrounding words are roman. The single paragraph continues with propre esprit at the top of 894. Both incoming lines are complete, including fonds with s; no new paragraph or punctuation is inserted at the page boundary. The two parentheses and repeated spiritual/material relations remain. The source specialist’s facsimile collation records the page 893 damaged first day, complete later dates, small-cap century/raised e, upper marks, printed brackets/ellipsis, external slash, capable/grandes and italic verbless construction with the 894 continuation, with all stated individual reading qualifications retained.

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.