What was sun tzu work mainly about

Several people published unsatisfactory English translations of Sun Tzu. In , Dr. Giles' translation was edited and published in the United States in a series of military science books. But it wasn't until that a good English translation by Samuel B. Griffith and still in print was published that was an equal to Giles' translation. While this translation is more lucid than Dr.

Giles' translation, it lacks his copious notes that make his so interesting. Giles produced a work primarily intended for scholars of the Chinese civilization and language. It contains the Chinese text of Sun Tzu, the English translation, and voluminous notes along with numerous footnotes. Unfortunately, some of his notes and footnotes contain Chinese characters; some are completely Chinese. Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

Sun said the ablest leaders knew how to win without fighting. But if war wasn't avoidable Sun Tzu argued that total war was the only way to go. And in going about that he advocated careful planning and preparation, good organization, exploiting an enemy's weaknesses, and carefully picking the battles. He advised armies to act strong when they were strong and act strong when they were weak and to be flexible and adapt battle plans as conditions change.

There are sections in The Art of War on troop deployment, political support, and using terrain, weather and diversions. One of Sun's favorite tactics was the use of incendiary attacks against people and equipment. He also suggested crying wolf again and again, lulling the enemy into complacency, and then striking hard with all you got.

Long fascinated by Sun Wu's philosophy, he said he was taught The Art Of War when he was in the military and decided to devote himself to researching the famous warrior after he retired. He formed the association in to promote exchanges between domestic and overseas researchers.

Along with Confucius, Sun Wu is one of the great philosophers born in Shandong. It is the ground of life and death, the Way dao of survival or extinction. One cannot but investigate it. Thus base it in the five. Compare by means of the appraisals, and so seek out its nature.

The first is the way dao , the second is Heaven, the third is Earth, the fourth is the general, the fifth is method. The Way is what orders the people to have the same purpose as their superior.

Thus they can die with him, live with him, and not harbor deceit. Thus when able, manifest inability. When active, manifest inactivity.

When near, manifest as far. When far, manifest as near. When he is in chaos, take him. When he is substantial, prepare against him. When he is strong, avoid him. Attack where he is unprepared. Emerge where he does not expect. These are the victories of the military lineage. They cannot be transmitted in advance. Thus the battles of the skilled are without extraordinary victory, without reputation for wisdom, and without merit for courage.

Being without error, what one arranges is necessarily victorious, since one is victorious over the already defeated. One skilled at battle takes a stand in the ground of no. Therefore, the victorious military is first victorious and after that does battle. The defeated military first does battle and after that seeks victory. Going with it, going against it.. Earth is high and low, broad and narrow, far and near, steep and level, death and life.

The general is wisdom, trustworthiness, courage, and strictness. Method is ordering divisions, the way of ranking, and principal supply. Taking a state whole is superior. Destroying it is inferior to this.

Taking a division whole is superior. Taking a battalion whole is superior. Taking a company whole is superior. Taking a squad whole is superior. Therefore, one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not skillful. Thus the superior military cuts down strategy.

Its inferior cuts down alliances. Its inferior cuts down the military. The worst attacks cities. These five are a way dao of knowing victory. Thus it is said Knowing the other and knowing oneself, In one hundred battles no danger.

Not knowing the other and knowing oneself, One victory for one defeat. Not knowing the other and not knowing oneself, In every battle certain danger.

Invincibility lies in oneself. Vincibility lies in the enemy. Thus the skilled can make themselves invincible. Vincibility is attack.

Attack and one is insufficient. One skilled at defense hides below the nine earths and moves above the nine heavens. However, one would do well to read both On War and The Art of War before becoming a statesman, as one cannot be recommended before the other, the two being mostly mutually complementary when understood in depth.

Clausewitz, C. On War , trans. Corbett, J. Mahnken, T. Paret, P. Rogers, C. Wark, W. Thomas Cleary London: Shambala, pp. Sam B. Griffith, in Thomas G. Mahnken and Joseph A. Maiolo ed. Used from quotation in Handel, Masters of War… , pp. Martin S. Alexander Date written: November Before you download your free e-book, please consider donating to support open access publishing. American ideas that China might adopt The legislation of information release in the United States has existed for nearly 50 years, and has formed a perfect legal system constituted by a number of bills, specific laws and regulations.

China has an urgent need to establish a unified and comprehensive information disclosure legal system. In particular, it has a need to amend the "Conservative State Secrets Law" to clean up the existing provisions of confidentiality and inconsistencies with the government information release system, to reduce and avoid conflicts of law enforcement.

In the enactment of FOIA, the United States emphasizes two purposes of the Act: to strengthen democracy through open government activities and to prevent administrative corruption by restricting the administration. The development of philosophy and politics in China has had an impact on the ethics of its society. Superstition has played an important role in China from ancient times when the royal family, to divine important dates and the outcome of battles, used oracle bones.

Confucianism and its values have had a strong effect on Chinese people, both past and present. The role of the state and respect for authority contribute to an understanding of Chinese people. Essays Essays FlashCards. Browse Essays. Sign in. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Show More. The ambiguities of experience.

Ithaca: Cornell University Press. McNeilly, M. Sun Tzu and the art of modern warfare. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pye, L. Nuances in Chinese political culture. Sawyer, R. The seven military classics of ancient classics. New York: Basic Books. Simon, H. Bounded rationality and organizational learning. March : — The art of war trans: R. New York: Ballantine Books. Tan, M.