A man of letters, the often-quoted French philosopher Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) was born on this day near the Vézère Valley in Montignac, France, the son of a master surgeon.

“Words, like eyeglasses, obscure everything they do not make clear,” he once said.

Joubert studied law, then joined the Doctrinaires teaching order and discovered a passion for philosophy and the classics.

Despite suffering poor health most of his life, Joubert was an energetic learner. He joined the Paris artist community in 1778 and became friends with Denis Diderot and other creative thinkers.

Joubert said, “Some superior minds are unrecognized because there is no standard by which to weigh them.”

A keen observer, he recorded his daily thoughts on politics, religion, and literature. “These thoughts form not only the foundation of my work, but of my life,” he explained.

His notebooks — Pensées — were published posthumously by student Chateaubriand, who praised Joubert’s “goodness of soul... and brilliance of mind — a mind that was interested in everything and understood everything.”

“Imagination is the eye of the soul,” Joubert said.