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→Criticism of Sun Tzu
The original 孙子兵法 is considered a very important text on warfare, and the advice on warfare is still considered relevant. Sun Zi's text forms part of what is called the "militarist" school of Chinese philosophy, and so-called militarist texts make up quite a large proportion of the total of philosophical texts surviving from the [[Warring States]] period. It could be that during the purges of the [[Qin dynasty]], when books deemed useless by the Qin state were burnt, military texts survived due to their usefulness to the Qin, and this accounts for the large number, but at the same time, it shows that clearly, warfare was highly valued in the period, as were those skilled at it, more so than the abstract and moral philosophers, such as [[Confucius]] or [[Mozi]].
The original 孙子兵法 is considered a very important text on warfare, and the advice on warfare is still considered relevant. Sun Zi's text forms part of what is called the "militarist" school of Chinese philosophy, and so-called militarist texts make up quite a large proportion of the total of philosophical texts surviving from the [[Warring States]] period. It could be that during the purges of the [[Qin dynasty]], when books deemed useless by the Qin state were burnt, military texts survived due to their usefulness to the Qin, and this accounts for the large number, but at the same time, it shows that clearly, warfare was highly valued in the period, as were those skilled at it, more so than the abstract and moral philosophers, such as [[Confucius]] or [[Mozi]].
== Criticism of Sun Tzu ==
Although Sun Tzu has some admirable strategies/tactics/philosophies, such as minimizing the breadth/duration of war, his advocacy of deception earned him critics among [[Confucius|Confucian]] scholars and [[Christianity|Christendom]] ([[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] taught that lying is intrinsically wrong and the [[Bible]] repeatedly gives strong condemnation of [[Lie|lying]]).<ref>[http://www.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2011/02/08/sun-tzu-the-enemy-of-the-bureaucratic-mind/ Sun Tzu: ''The Enemy of the Bureaucratic Mind'' by Walter Russell Mead]</ref><ref>[http://www.equip.org/articles/any-absolutes-absolutely/ Any absolutes? Absolutely] by [[Norman Geisler]]</ref>
== Sun Tzu Quotes ==
== Sun Tzu Quotes ==