Sun Tzu's Art of War - Essence of Chinese Traditional Culture (Issue 3)

Author: Sun Wu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The Essence of Military Strategy - The Five Elements of Warfare Sun Tzu emphasizes that before engaging in battle, one must assess the five fundamental elements of both oneself and the enemy. By calculating and comparing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, one can grasp the true situation. These five fundamental elements are:
- Dao (Moral Law): Refers to the shared beliefs between the people and the ruler, where the people are willing to die for the nation without fear of danger.
- Tian (Heaven): Refers to the timing of day and night, weather conditions (clear, rainy, cold, hot), and the changes of seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter).
- Di (Earth): Refers to the distance of routes, the ruggedness or flatness of terrain, the openness or narrowness of the terrain, and the ease or difficulty of advancing or retreating (death ground vs. life ground).
- Jiang (The General): Refers to the qualities a commander must possess—wisdom, integrity, benevolence, courage, and strictness.
- Fa (Method): Refers to the organization of the army, the discipline of officers, and the supply of provisions.
Seven Calculi – Seven Principles for Judging Victory Next, Sun Tzu proposes seven basic standards for judging victory, known as the "Seven Calculi":
1. Which leader is virtuous and has the ability to inspire the people?
2. Which commander is talented and commands respect from the army?
3. Which side has the advantage of timing and terrain?
4. Which side can effectively enforce its laws and commands?
5. Which side has a stronger military force?
6. Which side has better-trained troops?
7. Which side has clear rewards and punishments?
From these seven comparisons, one can determine who will win.
Twelve Stratagems of Deception Warfare is based on deception (stratagems). When attacking, one must feign inability to attack; when fighting, one must feign reluctance to fight; when attacking nearby, one must feign an intention to attack distant areas; when attacking distant areas, one must feign an intention to attack nearby. One may lure the enemy with small gains, create chaos within the enemy’s ranks and exploit it, provoke the enemy into anger, appear weak to make them overconfident, tire the enemy when they are at ease, or sow discord when they are united.
In summary, the twelve stratagems emphasize attacking the enemy when they are unprepared and acting in ways they do not expect. This is the secret to winning in warfare, and it must be adapted to the situation at hand—it cannot be taught in advance.
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