Joseph Joubert French moralist and essayist Date of Birth: 07.05.1754 Country: France

Biography of Joseph Joubert

Joseph Joubert was a French moralist and essayist, best known for his posthumously published collection of thoughts, 'Pensées'. He began his education at a religious college in Toulouse at the age of 14, where he later became a teacher. Initially sent to Toulouse to study law, Joubert's encounter with the Order of Doctrinarians made him forget about a legal career. It was the Doctrinarians who showed Joubert the importance of education for the lower classes, inspiring him to become a teacher.

In 1776, Joseph left teaching and moved to Paris, where he first met Jean le Rond d'Alembert and Denis Diderot, and later the young writer and diplomat François Chateaubriand. Joubert lived in Paris, close to his friends, periodically moving to the province. The French Revolution shattered any remaining illusions Joubert had, and from that point on, he became a staunch opponent of the popular doctrines of the 18th century. In 1790, Joseph was elected a magistrate of the Martignac canton. After completing his term, Joubert refused to run for a second term and returned to Paris.

In Paris, Joseph married Mlle Moreau. Eventually, Napoleon appointed Joubert as the Inspector General of the University of France. Despite serious health problems, Joubert carried out his duties with great dedication.

Throughout his life, Joseph did not publish any of his writings. Instead, he described his thoughts in letters to his friends and numerous notebooks. Joubert had surprisingly diverse interests, ranging from literature to ideas about the nature and meaning of human existence. After his death, Joubert's widow passed his writings on to Chateaubriand, who published 'Recueil des pensées de M. Joubert' ('Collection of Thoughts by Mr. Joubert') in 1938. Subsequently, new, more comprehensive editions were published, including selected excerpts from Joubert's extensive correspondence.

Although not formally associated, Joubert belonged to the Epicurean school of philosophy. He found pleasure in his own suffering, as he believed that illness makes the soul better and stronger than the body.

Joubert's works have been translated into various languages, including English.