The Art of War

The Art Of War (12780 bytes)

The Art of War is an ancient book, written some 2500 years ago by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu. Yet, despite its age, it is not dated. This is because Sun Tzu was not only a brilliant general, he was a brilliant student of human nature. Sun Tzu's observations are as applicable today as they were twenty-five centuries ago.

This is a very short work. The thirteen chapters can be read in an afternoon. But the book's brevity does not detract from its greatness. Rather, its brevity enhances its greatness.

Consider some of these examples:

Chapter 1 begins:

The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected.[1]

Remember the hostage crisis in Iran? Why did that rescue mission fail so miserably? In the years following the fiasco in Viet Nam, America neglected her military. Even during that war the process of degradation had begun. The humiliations in Viet Nam, Beirut, and the deserts of Iran were inevitable.

Compare that to the military build-up that occurred under President Reagan. That build-up, that restoration of the military to a place of honor in America, made the swift partial victory in the Gulf War possible.

Another lesson:

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.[2]

And another:

To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.[3]

And here's one George Bush should have read:

He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.[4]

The victory in the Gulf War was, indeed, a partial victory because President Bush interfered with the general on the scene.

At the core of the great debate between the left and the right in America lies the most fundamental question regarding the nature of man. The left believes that human nature is malleable, and that, given time and proper guidance, a utopian society is not only achievable, but inevitable. The right believes that human nature is innate and unchangeable, and that, as a result, the problems of society can be ameliorated but never completely solved.

Sun Tzu's observations, although old, are hardly outdated. If anything, they give strong support to the argument that human nature is . . . well . . . human nature.

James Clavell, author of Shogun, sums up of The Art of War like this: In peace, prepare for war; in war, prepare for peace; for the object of war is peace.[5]

Endnotes

Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Trans. Lionel Giles. Ed. James Clavell. (New York: Dell Publishing, 1988), 9.
Ibid., 18
Ibid., 15
Ibid., 18
Ibid., 7, 83

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Last update: 03/16/98