René Descartes is renowned for his famous statement, “Cogito, ergo sum” or “I think, therefore I am.” This statement laid the foundation for his philosophical thought, which focused on the idea of rationalism and the power of human reason. Though it is true that he was a big believer in logic, it is also true that personal reasoning was also generally important to Descartes. Using the philosophy of René Descartes to evaluate the morality of killing others during World War I as depicted in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

Descartes believed that reason was the key to understanding the world and that humans had an innate ability to reason. He believed that humans could use their reason to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. This concept is crucial to understanding Descartes’ approach to morality.

In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, we see the young soldiers struggle with the morality of killing others during World War I. The brutal reality of war is depicted, and the toll it takes on the soldiers is highlighted. Paul Baumer, the main character, experiences a crisis of conscience as he faces the harsh realities of war. This especially hits Paul in chapter ten where he reflects, “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow” (263). 

Using Descartes’ philosophy, we can evaluate and see the morality of killing others in war through the beliefs of a philosopher who has pondered the corners and morals of life. Descartes believed that morality was based on reason and that humans had the ability to use their reason to determine what was right and wrong. He believed that actions could be judged based on whether they were reasonable or not.

In the case of killing others during World War I, Descartes would argue that this action is not reasonable. Descartes believed in the value of human life and saw it as something that should be respected and protected. In his view, killing others would be considered an unreasonable action because it puts the intrinsic value of life in a vulnerable position.

The soldiers in All Quiet on the Western Front struggle with this idea. They are forced to kill others in order to survive, but they also feel guilty for taking another human life. Paul Baumer reflects on this when he says, “We were all quiet because we were all feeling the same things, we were all trying to keep our lives from slipping away from us” (Remarque, p. 90). One of the larger instances of Paul expressing his guilt is in chapter nine where he killed a man in the No Man’s Land. Paul’s guilt pangs through his entire being and he promises to write to the man’s family for he doesn’t want this man’s life to be lost in vain. The man had a wife. The man had children. The man was a man just as much as Paul was. 

Descartes would argue that the soldiers’ actions are not reasonable because they go against the value of human life. The soldiers are forced to kill others to protect their own lives, but in doing so, they are acting unreasonably. However in the case of Paul in No Mans’s Land he was acting on his survival instinct, would it be immoral of him to take another man’s life in order to protect his own?

Furthermore, Descartes believed that humans had a duty to act morally and that this duty was based on reason. In his view, humans had a responsibility to act in a way that was reasonable and just. Killing others during World War I would not be considered a reasonable or just action in Descartes’ view.

In All Quiet on the Western Front, we see the soldiers struggle with their duty to kill others. They are ordered to fight and kill, but they also feel a sense of duty to protect their fellow soldiers. Paul Baumer reflects on this when he says, “We are forlorn like children and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial—I believe we are lost” (Remarque, p. 24).

It is important to note that the context of war and the difficult circumstances faced by the soldiers must also be considered. While Descartes’ philosophy provides a useful framework for evaluating morality, it does not necessarily account for the complexities of war and the difficult choices that soldiers must make. Therefore, for something as subjective as morality one cannot definitively place labels on what is or isn’t moral because there are simply too many elements that must be taken into consideration. 

In conclusion, the philosophy of René Descartes provides an interesting lens through which to evaluate the morality of killing others during World War I as depicted in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Descartes believed that morality was based on reason and that humans had a responsibility to act in a way that was reasonable and just. While the soldiers in the novel may have had justifications for their actions, according to Descartes’ philosophy, their actions would not be considered reasonable or just.