 The Art of War ( 孙子兵法 ) is a Chinese military treatise written during the 6th century BC by Sun Wu ( 孙武 ) . Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it has long been praised as the definitive work on military strategies and tactics. It is one of the most famous studies of strategy and has had a huge influence on both military planning and beyond.
Verses from the book occur in modern daily Chinese idioms and phrases, such as the last verse of Chapter 3:
If you know yourself as well as your enemy, you will come out of one hundred battles with one hundred victories. ( 知己知彼 , 百战百胜 )
In many East Asian countries, The Art of War was part of the syllabus for potential candidates of military service examinations. Various translations are available and were used by some European military institutions, for instance, in Germany before World War I. In the United States Marine Corps, it is reportedly required reading for intelligence personnel and recommended for all Marines.
The following are the main contents of Art of War:
- Laying Plans ( 计篇 )
- Waging War ( 作战篇 )
- Attack by Stratagem ( 谋攻篇 )
- Tactical Dispositions ( 行篇 )
- Energy ( 势篇 )
- Weak Points and Strong ( 虚实篇 )
- Maneuvering ( 军争篇 )
- Variation in Tactics ( 九变篇 )
- The Army on the March ( 行军篇 )
- Terrain ( 地形篇 )
- The Nine Situations ( 九地篇 )
- The Attack by Fire ( 火攻篇 )
- The Use of Spies ( 用间篇 )
Some have suggested or implied that The Art of War is applicable to more than just military endeavors. Much of the text is about how to fight wars without actually having to do battle. It gives tips for how to outsmart one's opponent so that physical battle is not necessary. In more recent times it has been used as a training guide to prepare one for "office politics" and corporate culture, and the books have most prominently appeared in the business sections of bookstores in the West. Some sports such as rugby have even reputedly used the book to develop strategy.
Some have also interpreted The Art of War as providing methods for developing social strategies, such as developing relationships in social or working circles. It stresses subtlety and always making it appear like one is trying to achieve something away from the actual intention. |
