A Practical Guide to Strategy and Tactics

Author: Huang Pu Min (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not Available
Features: The Chinese Classics are the core components of traditional Chinese culture, shaping the fundamental character of Chinese culture and serving as the driving force behind the continuous vitality and self-reliance of the Chinese nation. Among the Chinese Classics, the most outstanding representatives are the four works: the I Ching (Book of Changes), the Analects of Confucius, the Tao Te Ching, and the Art of War by Sun Tzu. However, in terms of these four classics themselves, the I Ching was originally a systematic summary of divinatory texts, focusing on prediction and exploring philosophical questions about the relationship between heaven and humanity. Its principles are profound and its changes unpredictable, making it difficult for ordinary people to truly understand it, let alone master and apply it. Thus, there has long been the saying, "The I Ching has no definitive interpretation, and the Book of Songs has no definitive commentary." As for the Tao Te Ching, it is undoubtedly a profound and extensive masterpiece of political philosophy, summarizing and theorizing the philosophical aspects of "existence, extinction, misfortune, and fortune" in history and real life. It includes a cosmogony centered around the "Dao" as the ruler and the origin of all things in the universe, a naive dialectics of mutual dependence, opposition, transformation, and cyclical repetition, strategic arguments such as "acting without acting achieves everything" and "the soft overcomes the hard," as well as the social and political ideals of "governing through non-action" and "small states with few people." However, its essential attribute lies in its dialectical methodology, and its discussion of specific issues of statecraft and military affairs seems somewhat insufficient. Therefore, except for a few wise individuals, it is indeed challenging to grasp the essence and key points of the book. After all, the influence of culture largely depends on its reach. In this sense, the influence of the Tao Te Ching should be somewhat discounted. The Analects and the Art of War, however, are different. They more fundamentally embody the basic spirit of traditional Chinese culture, which is to guide the construction of the Chinese civilization system with a focus on practical and concrete aspects that align with human affairs. They reflect a strong utilitarian rationality and worldly interests. Their cultural concepts are deeply rooted in the fertile soil of agrarian civilization, permeating the daily lives of all people like mercury through the ground, guiding everything from statecraft and military affairs to self-cultivation and personal development. There are no overly abstract principles or elusive metaphysical doctrines—only simplicity and closeness to life, as the saying goes, "The wise understand the big picture, while the unwise understand the small details." Thus, they transform profound ideas into simple ones and complex matters into ordinary ones, achieving widespread popularity and a lasting impact. It is clear that these two classics are the two main pillars of traditional Chinese culture, better reflecting the essential characteristics and value orientation of classical Chinese civilization.
The Analects is a classic of Confucian thought, primarily recording the words and deeds of Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, as well as those of some of his disciples. This was already noted by Ban Gu in the Book of Han·Bibliography: "The Analects are the words of Confucius responding to his disciples, contemporaries, and the exchanges between disciples that were overheard by Confucius. At the time, disciples each kept records, and after Confucius' death, his followers compiled and edited these records, hence the name Analects." The book consists of twenty chapters and approximately 10,000 characters, reflecting Confucius' thoughts and doctrines. Broadly speaking, it contains four main parts: first, a political ethics based on the concept of "ren" (benevolence), which advocates "rule by virtue" and the "royal way" in politics. Second, a principle of ritual governance characterized by "self-restraint and the restoration of rites," which promotes a hierarchical moral order with differentiated love. Third, the idea of "the mean," advocating balance, moderation, and avoiding extremes. Fourth, a social ideal of pursuing "the great unity of all under heaven." Among these, the theories of "ren" and "ritual" are the backbone of Confucius' political thought reflected in the Analects, the idea of "the mean" is the philosophical methodology underlying Confucius' entire theory, and the doctrine of "the great unity" is his lofty social and political ideal. In essence, the Analects revolves around these four key points.
The Art of War is the crystallization of the military theories of Sun Wu, the revered strategist, and is renowned as the "forefather of military discussions across generations." In terms of its view of war, it advocates a balance between "cautious warfare" and "preparatory warfare," emphasizing "ensuring national security and complete victory" while unifying benevolence and stratagems. In strategy, it promotes offensive and swift victories, advocating "the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting" to achieve the ideal of "complete victory." In operational guidance, it affirms the use of "stratagems in warfare," gaining the initiative, "making the enemy act according to your will," "winning by adapting to the enemy," "misleading the enemy with feigned movements," "attacking the weak and avoiding the strong," and combining direct and indirect approaches, thereby ensuring invincibility in warfare. In military governance, it emphasizes "governing with benevolence and disciplining with martial law," rewarding generously and punishing clearly, conducting rigorous training, promoting capable individuals, and treating soldiers and captives with kindness. All of these provided urgent and necessary theoretical guidance for the military construction and warfare practices of ancient society, laying a solid foundation for Chinese military thought. The Ming Dynasty scholar Mao Yuanyi praised it in The Military Preparations Records·Commentary on Military Stratagems: "Before Sun Tzu, there was no one who could surpass him; after Sun Tzu, there is no one who can ignore him," perfectly capturing the status and influence of the Art of War. Like the Analects, it is a precious cultural wealth of the entire human society and is immortal.