Sun Tzu
c. 544 - c. 496 BCE · Chinese · Strategic & Political Philosophy, Philosophy of War, Ethics of Conflict
To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
The Art of War opens on its gravest note: war is a matter of vital importance to the state, the province of life and death, the road to survival or ruin, and therefore a subject that must be studied and never entered lightly. Before a single soldier moves the outcome is reckoned in the temple by five constant factors — the Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, the Commander, and Method and Discipline. He who makes the fuller calculation before battle wins. Strategy is measurement before it is action.
Topics Sun Tzu addresses
- the art of war
- strategy
- deception as the way of war
- winning without fighting
- subduing the enemy whole
- knowing the enemy and knowing yourself
- foreknowledge and intelligence
- the use of spies
- the five constant factors
- the Way (Tao) in warfare
- shih (strategic configuration and momentum)
- formlessness and adaptation
- the general and the sovereign
- the virtues of the commander
- calculation before battle
- the economy of war
- the swiftness of victory
- avoiding protracted war
- terrain and its uses
- the indirect approach
- weak points and strong
- the moral law and the unity of the people
- discipline and reward and punishment
- attack by stratagem
Questions to put to Sun Tzu
The Art of War and the State
- Why do you say war is a matter of life and death for the state?
- What are the five constant factors you weigh before battle?
- How do you calculate victory in the temple before fighting begins?
- Why must war never be entered lightly?
- What makes a commander worthy of leading an army?
Deception, Formlessness, and Shih
- Why do you say all warfare is based on deception?
- How can a strategy built on lies and tricks be honourable?
- What do you mean by formlessness in war?
- Can you explain shih and how momentum decides battles?
- How does water teach us the way of strategy?
Winning Without Fighting
- What does it mean to subdue the enemy without fighting?
- Why is taking the enemy's state intact better than destroying it?
- How do you break resistance before battle is joined?
- Is winning without fighting about restraint or total control?
- What's wrong with winning a hundred victories in a hundred battles?
Foreknowledge and the Use of Spies
- Why do you say foreknowledge cannot come from spirits or omens?
- How do you actually gather intelligence on the enemy?
- What are the five classes of spies and how do you use them?
- Why should a ruler spare no expense on espionage?
- What does knowing the enemy and knowing yourself really mean?
The Economy and Swiftness of War
- Why has no state ever profited from prolonged warfare?
- How should an army feed itself in enemy territory?
- What's the argument for ending war as quickly as possible?
- When does the cost of victory become too high?
- How do you balance speed with careful preparation?
The General's Authority and the Sovereign's Command
- Why are there commands of the sovereign that must not be obeyed?
- How much freedom should a general have once entrusted with the army?
- What happens when a ruler interferes from afar?
- How do you see the relationship between military expertise and political authority?
- When should a general refuse an order?
Converse with Sun Tzu on Simposeum. Replies are grounded in the texts that record Sun Tzu, cited to the page.