Difference between revisions of "Sun Tzu"

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|piccap="Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus, he is master of his enemy's fate." - Sun Tzu
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|piccap="Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate." - Sun Tzu
 
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'''Sun Tzu''' (c. 400 B.C.) was the author of ''The Art of War'', a classic [[Chinese]] treatise on [[military]] strategy.  Sun Tzu's strategies and tactics utilize the "Eastern tradition of strategy that emphasizes outwitting an opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of effort."<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Military-Classics-Ancient-including/dp/0813312280 The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, including The Art of War - Amazon]</ref><ref>[http://www.wzaponline.com/SunTzuClausewitz.pdf Sun Tzu Compared to Clausewitz] by Walter S. Zapotoczny</ref>
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'''Sun Tzu''' (c. 400 B.C.) was a [[China|Chinese]] general and author of the ancient book ''[[The Art of War (Sun Tzu)|The Art of War]]'', a classic Chinese treatise on [[military]] strategy.  Sun Tzu's strategies and tactics utilize the "Eastern tradition of strategy that emphasizes outwitting an opponent through speed, [[Stealth (Military strategy)|stealth]], flexibility, and a minimum of effort."<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Military-Classics-Ancient-including/dp/0813312280 The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, including The Art of War - Amazon]</ref><ref>[http://www.wzaponline.com/SunTzuClausewitz.pdf Sun Tzu Compared to Clausewitz] by Walter S. Zapotoczny</ref>
  
 
He lived during the [[Warring States]] period, a time when his skills in warfare were much in demand.  His original name was 孙武， Sun Wu, and the name 孙子 is an honorific.  孙武's grandson, Sun Bin, 孙膑，also wrote a text of military strategy; in Chinese, Sun Bin's book is 孙膑兵法，and Sun Wu's is most commonly known simply as 孙子兵法，although both were known as 孙子 after their deaths, thus making it confusing for military historians and sinologists to differentiate between the two.  The second 孙子's text was uncovered only recently, in the 1970s, in a [[Han dynasty]] tomb, in Yinqueshan, Shandong province.
 
He lived during the [[Warring States]] period, a time when his skills in warfare were much in demand.  His original name was 孙武， Sun Wu, and the name 孙子 is an honorific.  孙武's grandson, Sun Bin, 孙膑，also wrote a text of military strategy; in Chinese, Sun Bin's book is 孙膑兵法，and Sun Wu's is most commonly known simply as 孙子兵法，although both were known as 孙子 after their deaths, thus making it confusing for military historians and sinologists to differentiate between the two.  The second 孙子's text was uncovered only recently, in the 1970s, in a [[Han dynasty]] tomb, in Yinqueshan, Shandong province.
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== Criticism of Sun Tzu  ==
 
== Criticism of Sun Tzu  ==
  
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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, [[Christianity|Christendom]] and others (The [[Bible]] repeatedly gives strong condemnation of [[Lie|lying]] and [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] taught that lying is intrinsically wrong).<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> In the Christianity/[[theism]] vs. secularism [[culture war]], [[atheism|atheists]]/[[agnosticism|agnostics]] have often acted inappropriately and engaged in lies/deception and cruelty (see: [[Atheism and deception]] and [[Atheism and morality]] and [[militant atheism]]).
+
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, [[Christianity|Christendom]] and others (The [[Bible]] repeatedly gives strong condemnation of [[Lie|lying]], and [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] taught that lying is intrinsically wrong).<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> On the other hand, Sun Tzu wrote in his classic work The Art of War: “The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.” Furthermore, before [[D-Day]] the Allied Forces used inflatable tanks and other forms of deception that did not require lying to make it appear as if the D-Day invasion would occur elsewhere.
 +
 
 +
In the Christianity/[[theism]] vs. secularism [[culture war]], [[atheism|atheists]]/[[agnosticism|agnostics]] have often acted inappropriately and engaged in lies/deception and cruelty (see: [[Atheism and deception]] and [[Atheism and morality]] and [[militant atheism]]).
  
 
== Sun Tzu Quotes ==
 
== Sun Tzu Quotes ==
  
−
''See also:'' [[Sun Tzu Quotes]]
+
''See also:'' [[Sun Tzu quotes]]
  
 
*"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."
 
*"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."
 +
*“The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.”
 
*"He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared."
 
*"He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared."
 +
*"So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak."
 +
*"Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
 +
* "What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.”
 +
*"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate."
 
*"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."
 
*"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."
 +
*"What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations."
 +
*"There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."
 +
 +
== Journal articles ==
 +
 +
*[https://academic.oup.com/book/6276/chapter-abstract/149941165?redirectedFrom=fulltext 5 Shaping the Enemy: Preparing the Battlefield], Oxford Academic "The fifth principle of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and its application in military situations. Shaping means mastering the enemy and making them conform to the leader’s strategy, rules, and will."
 +
 +
== West Point commentary on Sun Tzu ==
  
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== Notes ==
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*[https://mwi.westpoint.edu/2014213sun-tzu-attack-the-enemys-strategy-first-two-recent-examples/ Sun Tzu: Attack the Enemies Strategy First - Two Recent Examples], by M.L. Cavanaugh
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{{reflist|2}}
 
  
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==See Also==
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==See also==
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* Sun Tzu - The [[Art of Warfare]]
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* Sun Tzu - [[The Art of War]]
 
* [[Lao Tzu]] - [[Tao Te Ching]]
 
* [[Lao Tzu]] - [[Tao Te Ching]]
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* [[Chuang Tzu]]
+
* [[Carl von Clausewitz]] - [[Western]] art of warfare
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* [[Carl von Clausewitz]] - [[Western]] Art of Warfare
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* [[Antoine-Henri Jomini]] - Western art of warfare
 
* [[List of military strategies and concepts]]
 
* [[List of military strategies and concepts]]
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 +
 +
*[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sunzi Sun Tzu], Britannica
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 +
*[https://www.militarystrategymagazine.com/article/the-misuse-of-sun-tzu-and-the-cult-of-maneuver/ The Misuse of Sun Tzu and the Cult of Maneuver], ''Military Strategy Magazine''
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Videos:
 +
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*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbjmSS6LZDGqVVz5vaEbqKaYimlYWHBDX Sun Tzu - video biographies], Video playlist
 +
 +
'''Works:'''
 +
 
* [https://librivox.org/author/3534 Works by Sun Tzu - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]]
 
* [https://librivox.org/author/3534 Works by Sun Tzu - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]]
 +
* [https://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html The Art of War] by Sun Tzu
 +
 +
'''Sun Tzu quotes:'''
 +
 +
*[https://www.audible.com/blog/quotes-art-of-war Sun Tzu quotes]  - Audible blog
 +
 +
*[https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2014/05/23/sun-tzus-33-best-pieces-of-leadership-advice/?sh=22c894475e5e Sun Tzu's 31 Best Pieces Of Leadership Advice] - ''Forbes''
 +
 +
*[https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/sun-tzu-quotes Sun Tzu quotes] - Brainy Quote
 +
 +
*[https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1771.Sun_Tzu Sun Tzu quotes] - Good Reads website
 +
 +
'''Videos series on Sun Tzu by the History Channel:'''
 +
 +
*[https://vimeo.com/393206660 History Channel Sun Tzu The Art Of War Part 1]
 +
*[https://vimeo.com/394114495 History Channel Sun Tzu The Art Of War Part 2]
 +
*[https://vimeo.com/397320700 History Channel Sun Tzu The Art Of War Part 3]
 +
*[https://vimeo.com/417434917 History Channel Sun Tzu The Art Of War Part 4]
 +
*[https://vimeo.com/419176658 History Channel Sun Tzu The Art Of War Part 5]
 +
 +
== Notes ==
 +
{{reflist|2}}
  
 
[[Category:Military Strategies and Concepts]]
 
[[Category:Military Strategies and Concepts]]
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[[Category:History]]
 
 
[[Category:Asian History]]
 
[[Category:Asian History]]
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[[Category:Military]]
 
 
[[Category:Military History]]
 
[[Category:Military History]]
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[[Category:War]]
 
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[[Category:China]]
 
 
[[Category:Chinese Philosophers]]
 
[[Category:Chinese Philosophers]]
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[[Category:Philosophy]]
 

Latest revision as of 14:20, July 15, 2025

Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu portrait.jpg
"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate." - Sun Tzu
Traditional Chinese 孫子
Simplified Chinese 孙子
Literal meaning Master Sun

Sun Tzu (c. 400 B.C.) was a Chinese general and author of the ancient book The Art of War, a classic Chinese treatise on military strategy. Sun Tzu's strategies and tactics utilize the "Eastern tradition of strategy that emphasizes outwitting an opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of effort."[1][2]

He lived during the Warring States period, a time when his skills in warfare were much in demand. His original name was 孙武， Sun Wu, and the name 孙子 is an honorific. 孙武's grandson, Sun Bin, 孙膑，also wrote a text of military strategy; in Chinese, Sun Bin's book is 孙膑兵法，and Sun Wu's is most commonly known simply as 孙子兵法，although both were known as 孙子 after their deaths, thus making it confusing for military historians and sinologists to differentiate between the two. The second 孙子's text was uncovered only recently, in the 1970s, in a Han dynasty tomb, in Yinqueshan, Shandong province.

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 Confucian scholars, Christendom and others (The Bible repeatedly gives strong condemnation of lying, and Augustine taught that lying is intrinsically wrong).[3][4] On the other hand, Sun Tzu wrote in his classic work The Art of War: “The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.” Furthermore, before D-Day the Allied Forces used inflatable tanks and other forms of deception that did not require lying to make it appear as if the D-Day invasion would occur elsewhere.

In the Christianity/theism vs. secularism culture war, atheists/agnostics have often acted inappropriately and engaged in lies/deception and cruelty (see: Atheism and deception and Atheism and morality and militant atheism).

Sun Tzu Quotes

See also: Sun Tzu quotes

  • "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."
  • “The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.”
  • "He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared."
  • "So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak."
  • "Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
  • "What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.”
  • "Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate."
  • "For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."
  • "What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations."
  • "There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."

Journal articles

  • 5 Shaping the Enemy: Preparing the Battlefield, Oxford Academic "The fifth principle of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and its application in military situations. Shaping means mastering the enemy and making them conform to the leader’s strategy, rules, and will."

West Point commentary on Sun Tzu

See also

External links

Videos:

Works:

Sun Tzu quotes:

Videos series on Sun Tzu by the History Channel:

Notes

  1. ↑ The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, including The Art of War - Amazon
  2. ↑ Sun Tzu Compared to Clausewitz by Walter S. Zapotoczny
  3. ↑ Sun Tzu: The Enemy of the Bureaucratic Mind by Walter Russell Mead
  4. ↑ Any absolutes? Absolutely by Norman Geisler
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