During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were frequent wars among the vassal states, and a school of warfare and military theories, Militarists, came into being. The main figures included Sun Wu (Sun Tzu) in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and Wu Qi and Sun Bin in the Warring States Period.

Sun Wu had written Sun Tzu’s Military Strategies (The Art of War), Wu Qi had writien Wu Zi’s Miluary Strategies, while Sun Bin was known for his namesake Sun Bin’s Military Strategies. Among the three, the first book was the most famous.

Sun Wu (Sun Tzu) was a native of the State of Qi who lived at the latter years of the Spring and Autumn Period. He went to the State of Wu and was favored by Helii, king of the State of Wu. Under his military commandership, the State of Wu defeated the State of Chu, and achieved great victories. He later collected his experiences in battles and his military theories, and composed Sun Tzu’s Military Strategies, with 13 chapters in it. This book is not only a helpful guide in military’ strategies but also contains great philosophical value, and had been regarded the first book of its kind in military.

Sun Tzu’s Militaiy Strategies, commonly known to the West as The Art of War, is a book which discusses how to win battles, but it discourages the rulers or generals to go to war. Sun Tzu said, “A war is a major eveni for a country, a venue for life and death, a way of existence or distinction.” It is a vety important thing, as it could mean life and death to many soldiers, commoners, and the fate of a country. One must not start a war lightly, let alone being belligerent. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu repeatedly reminds rulers and military generals to be very cautious, and noi to be impulsive out of agitation before starting a war.

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu was against the use of force. Instead, he advocated the use of strategies to subdue the enemy without fighting. The purpose of a war is to win, for the realization of one’s benefits, not to kill as many enemies as possible. One must refrain from causing damage to the enemy’s country, and harm to its people. One must use all strategies, political, diplomatic, economic, psychological and other deterrence, to subdue the enemy. This would be the ideal way to win a war.

Sun Tzu claimed that one must “plan first, fight later”. One must analyze and compare many factors of the two sides preparing for a war, namely, to conduct a full analysis of the many and the few, the strong and the weak, the genuine and the fake situations of the armies on both sides, and to find out the strategies as to attack or defend. With a full picture in mind, one could gain an upper hand in the possible warfare.

Flexible applications of strategies and tactics are highly emphasized in The Art of War. When in battles, swift changes to situations warrant adjustment of strategies and tactics to counteract. One must not dogmatically apply military- theories. One must take into consideration of the actual situation and rurn them into conditions to his own favour, instead of following the recorded experiences of others’.

With strong practical significance as guidance, The Art of War had been revered highly by military personnel all over the world.

In the Tang Dynasty, The Art of War was introduced to Japan. In the 18th century, it was brought to Europe. Today, it is a compulsory text in many military academies around the world. There are philosophical views in The Art of War, which transformed the military wisdom in the book to methods and theories that could be applied generally in all aspects of life. As a result, the book’s influence has gradually transcended beyond the military field and begun to play a role in many fields, such as economy, politics and diplomacy. The Art of War has also become a treasure of life philosophy for many successful people in business, political and sports circles around the world.

The Militarists’ thought has been well known in China, and has a great influence. Some people summed up “36 Strategies” out of the true battles according to historical records and Militarists’ thought, and they are very popular among the Chinese. Strategies such as “Run away to fight another day”, “Borrow other’s knife to kill”, “Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair” and “Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy’s trust” are very familiar to the Chinese people. The wisdom in battles and the philosophy of life in them have become the invaluable spiritual treasure for the Chinese people.

Cultural Notes

“Run Away to Fight Another Day”

It is the best way to avoid a strong enemy by running away. The Chinese term means “running away is the best strategy”.

“Borrow One’s Knife to Kill”

One takes advantage of the force of others to fight against his own enemy.

“Entice the Tiger to Leave Its Mountain Lair”

Try to lure the enemy away from the place he knows well.

“Inflict Injury on Oneself to Win the Enemy’s Trust”

The Chinese term means “the strategy of the suffering flesh”.

Questions

1. What in Confucianism and Daoism impresses you most and why?

2. Did Confucius want everyone to be a nice person without integrity when he advocated M Benevolence”?

3. In Zhuang Zi’s opinion, does Peng, the giant bird, live a better life than that of a small sparrow?

4. Mencius said that “The human nature is fundamentally good.” What is the difference on this between the East and the West?