Confucius taught that creating a peaceful society is dependent on relationships and virtues like ren (compassion), filial piety, li (respectful behavior), and jing (honesty). In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel “All Quiet on the Western Front,” the soldiers’ relationships with each other amid the brutalities of war demonstrate the application of Confucian ethics. Through their interactions with one another, the characters reveal their struggles to maintain their morals, humanity, and adherence to military standards. This essay will explore how the characters’ behavior, thoughts, and relationships in “All Quiet on the Western Front” reflect Confucius’s principles of ren, filial piety, li, and jing.

The characters in “All Quiet on the Western Front” face the constant dehumanization of their enemies, which is a stark reality of war. Confucianism’s philosophy of “ren” emphasizes treating others with kindness and respect, which provides a lens through which to explore the impact of war on relationships. Paul Baumer, the protagonist, exemplifies this philosophy as he struggles to maintain his humanity amidst the brutality of World War I. Despite the horrors of war, Paul finds moments of compassion and kindness, even towards enemy prisoners. This reflects Confucius’s teachings, which state, “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others” (The Analects, 15.24). However, war often erodes relationships and causes a loss of empathy, which goes against the spirit of ren. This underscores the importance of cultivating a sense of humanity even in the most challenging circumstances, as taught by Confucius and exemplified by Paul’s struggle to maintain his humanity amidst the brutality of war. He mentions the absurdity of the reason why the soldiers treated the prisoners so badly: “A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies”.

Later in the novel, Paul is given a two-week leave from the war and returns home, allowing him a brief respite from the horrors of combat. This highlights the concept of filial piety in Confucian philosophy, which stresses the importance of showing respect to one’s parents and ancestors. The soldiers’ relationships with their families reflect this value, as they feel a strong sense of duty to protect and care for their loved ones despite the challenges of war. Confucius taught that a filial son should revere his parents in daily life, care for them in sickness, and mourn their death. Paul deeply loves his family, especially his mother, and expresses his pain at parting from her again when he returns to training. He thinks, “Ah! Mother! Mother! How can it be that I must part from you? Who else is there that has any claim on me but you? Here I sit and there you are lying; we have so much to say, and we shall never say it” (Remarque 184).

Among this challenge to serve their families the soldiers’ adherence to military protocol and attempts to maintain dignity and humanity amidst the brutality of war reflect Confucius’s concept of Li. The concept of Li emphasizes proper conduct and manners in social relationships. Confucius believed that “The gentleman understands what is moral. The small man understands what is profitable” (The Analects, 4.16), indicating that proper behavior should be guided by moral principles rather than personal gain. This is evident in the soldiers’ adherence to military rituals and their respect for authority, such as Tjaden and Himmelstoss’s rocky relationship with each other. However, the violent nature of war often challenges the concept of Li, as the soldiers struggle to maintain their sense of humanity. This is further emphasized when Paul expresses that “We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation. It is not against men that we fling our bombs, what do we know of men in this moment when Death is hunting us down—now, for the first time in three days we can see his face, now for the first time in three days we can oppose him; we feel a mad anger” (Remarque 113). Despite these challenges, the soldiers try to maintain a sense of dignity and respect for each other, this is evident when Paul helps a French enemy soldier that he attacks himself (Remarque 220-223). Despite them being enemies, he still helps and even somewhat comforts him in his last moments. When the soldier finally dies, Paul spirals, not knowing what to do to make up for his awful mistake when he sees the soldier as human.

The soldiers in the novel not only struggle to maintain their dignity but also their moral compass and integrity amidst the war. Paul Baumer, the protagonist, reflects on this loss, “We are not youth any longer. We don’t want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world, and we had to shoot it to pieces” (Remarque 87-88). Confucius’s concept of Jing is relevant to this theme, as he emphasizes the importance of integrity. According to Confucius, a person with great integrity walks in righteousness, while someone with little integrity walks in deceit. Despite their difficult circumstances, the soldiers attempt to uphold their sense of internal integrity by questioning the war’s senselessness and their authorities’ decisions, while also following military protocol and respecting their superiors, even if they disagree with them. Tjaden shows his own indifference to the war and fighting in it when he says “Then I haven’t any business here at all […] I don’t feel myself offended” (Remarque 5204). He constantly disrespects authority such as Himmelstoss and even sees no purpose to fighting, but he still fights like the other soldiers. However, war’s violent and inhumane nature often challenges their sense of integrity, as they are forced to engage in acts that contradict their moral values, such as killing other people. Paul experiences a moment of hesitation when he doesn’t kill an enemy soldier “I raise my hand, but I cannot throw into those strange eyes” (Remarque 113). This can be his own consciousness telling him to not murder, but he does so anyways.

In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” the characters’ relationships amidst the brutal violence of war reflect the principles of Confucian ethics. The soldiers struggle to maintain their sense of humanity, morality, and adherence to military protocol. Confucian concepts of ren, filial piety, li, and jing are evident in their actions and relationships. The erosion of relationships and loss of empathy in war challenges traditional Confucian values of obedience and respect for authority. The novel emphasizes the importance of cultivating a sense of humanity, empathy, and compassion in challenging circumstances, maintaining proper conduct and manners in social relationships, and striving to uphold moral and ethical values in wartime. In conclusion, “All Quiet on the Western Front” illustrates the relevance and importance of Confucian ethics in creating a harmonious society, even in the face of extreme adversity.