All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is a novel that follows the experiences of Paul, a young German soldier in World War I. Throughout the novel, Paul is forced to confront the brutal reality of war, and the ways in which it changes him as a person. To evaluate the ethics of Paul, we can turn to the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, particularly his ideas about the meaning of life, the importance of decision-making, and the relationship between existence and essence.

At the heart of Sartre’s philosophy is the idea that life has no inherent meaning or purpose. As he writes in Being and Nothingness, “Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance.” This existentialist perspective is echoed in All Quiet on the Western Front, where Paul and his fellow soldiers are forced to confront the senseless violence and destruction of war. Paul describes the war as having “ruined us for everything” (p. 87) and speaks of feeling “lost and forlorn, like children, and experienced like old men” (p. 123). The horrors of war have stripped away any illusion of meaning or purpose in Paul’s life, leaving him adrift and searching for something to hold onto.

Despite the sense of hopelessness and despair that permeates All Quiet on the Western Front, Sartre’s philosophy suggests that there is still room for humanity and decision-making in a world without inherent meaning. Sartre writes in No Exit, “It is only in our decisions that we are important.” This idea is reflected in Paul’s own actions throughout the novel. Despite the dehumanizing effects of war, he retains his compassion and empathy for others. For example, he reassures a new recruit during a shelling and protects him from further harm, showing kindness and concern for someone who is scared and vulnerable (p. 61).

When Paul kills for the first time, he experiences a sense of detachment that he has never felt before. He stabs a French soldier three times, but he does not feel any emotion at first. Sartre would say that this detachment is a defense mechanism that allows Paul to distance himself from the reality of his situation. It is only through this that Paul can continue to function as a soldier. It is perhaps a necessary survival mechanism in a war where soldiers must constantly confront death and violence. In Sartre’s autobiography The Words, he writes, “Like all dreamers, I mistook disenchantment for truth.” In Paul’s case, his disenchantment with the senseless violence of war has led him to distance himself from his emotions and become somewhat desensitized to the suffering of others.

Despite the detachment that Paul experiences, he still retains a sense of compassion and empathy toward others. He befriends Russian prisoners and protects a new recruit from shells. He even shares a roast goose with his friends, despite the fact that they are all starving. Sartre would argue that these actions are an example of Paul creating meaning for himself. He is making choices that are authentic to his own values, despite the absurdity of the situation.

Ultimately, Sartre’s philosophy offers a way to understand the complexity of Paul’s moral and ethical choices in All Quiet on the Western Front. Despite the senselessness of war and the absence of inherent meaning in life, Paul is still able to make choices and act with compassion and empathy toward others. While his experiences leave him with a sense of hopelessness and despair, it is only through his choices that he can create meaning for himself. In this sense, Paul’s journey can be seen as an example of Sartre’s philosophy in action. In the end, the novel raises important questions about the nature of war, the human capacity for empathy and compassion, and the role of decision-making in a world without inherent meaning. As Sartre writes in Being and Nothingness, “Everything has been figured out, except how to live.”