The Art of War
The Art of War (Chinese: 孫子兵法; pinyin: Sūnzǐ bīngfǎ; lit. 'Sun Tzu's Military Method') is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the late Spring and Autumn period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a different set of skills or art related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500 years, it was the lead text in an anthology that was formalized as the Seven Military Classics by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1080. The Art of War remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare,[1] has influenced both East Asian and Western military theory and thinking, and has found a variety of applications in myriad competitive non-military endeavors across the modern world including espionage,[2] culture, politics, business, and sports.[3][4][5][6]
For other uses, see The Art of War (disambiguation).Author
Sun Tzu (traditional)
孫子兵法
5th century BC
355.02
U101 .S95
孫子兵法 at Chinese Wikisource
The Art of War at Wikisource
孙子兵法
"Master Sun's Military Methods"
Sūnzǐ bīngfǎ
Sūnzǐ bīngfǎ
ㄙㄨㄣ ㄗˇ ㄅㄧㄥ ㄈㄚˇ
Sun1-tzu3 ping1-fa3
Syūnjí bīngfaat
Syun1 zi2 bing1 faat3
Sun-tzú ping-huat
*sˤun tsəʔ praŋ p.kap
The book contains a detailed explanation and analysis of the 5th-century BC Chinese military, from weapons, environmental conditions, and strategy to rank and discipline. Sun also stressed the importance of intelligence operatives and espionage to the war effort. Considered one of history's finest military tacticians and analysts, his teachings and strategies formed the basis of advanced military training throughout the world.
The book was translated into French and published in 1772 by the French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot; it was re-published in 1782. A partial translation into English was attempted by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905 under the title The Book of War. The first annotated English translation was completed and published by Lionel Giles in 1910.[7] Military and political leaders such as the Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen, Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp, and American military generals Douglas MacArthur and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. are all cited as having drawn inspiration from the book.[8]
Outside of military use, The Art of War has also become a source of inspiration for many people in business, politics, sports, and even e-sports, and its usage has also extended to film and television.
History[edit]
Text and commentaries[edit]
The Art of War is traditionally attributed to an ancient Chinese military general known as Sun Tzu meaning "Master Sun". Sun Tzu is usually linked with existing in the 6th century BC; the earliest sections of The Art of War, however, most likely date to at least 100 years after him.[9]
Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, the first of China's 24 dynastic histories, records an early Chinese tradition that a text on military matters was written by one "Sun Wu" (孫武) from the State of Qi, and that this text had been read and studied by King Helü of Wu (r. 514 BC – 495 BC).[10] This text was traditionally identified with the received Master Sun's Art of War. The conventional view was that Sun Wu was a military theorist from the end of the Spring and Autumn period (776–471 BC) who fled his home state of Qi to the southeastern Kingdom of Wu, where he is said to have impressed the king with his ability to quickly train even court women in military discipline and to have made Wu's armies powerful enough to challenge their western rivals in the state of Chu. This view is still widely held in China.[11]
The strategist, poet, and warlord Cao Cao in the early 3rd century AD authored the earliest known commentary to the Art of War.[10] Cao's preface makes clear that he edited the text and removed certain passages, but the extent of his changes were unclear historically.[10] The Art of War appears throughout the bibliographical catalogs of the Chinese dynastic histories, but listings of its divisions and size varied widely.[10]
