10 | Twenty-Five Hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic book of 11 | military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought. 12 |
13 |1. Laying Plans
14 |Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
15 |16 | It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. 17 | Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. 18 |
19 |20 | The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken 21 | into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the 22 | conditions obtaining in the field. 23 |
24 |25 | These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; 26 | (5) Method and discipline. 27 |
28 |29 | The MORAL LAW causes the people to be in complete accord with their 30 | ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, 31 | undismayed by any danger. 32 |
33 |HEAVEN signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.
34 |35 | EARTH comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open 36 | ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death. 37 |
38 |39 | The COMMANDER stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, 40 | courage and strictness. 41 |
42 |43 | By METHOD AND DISCIPLINE are to be understood the marshaling of the army 44 | in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, 45 | the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the 46 | control of military expenditure. 47 |
48 |49 | These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them 50 | will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail. 51 |
52 |53 | Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military 54 | conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise: 55 |
56 |(1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law?
57 |(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?
58 |(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth?
59 |(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
60 |(5) Which army is stronger?
61 |(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
62 |63 | (7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and 64 | punishment? 65 |
66 |67 | By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat. 68 |
69 |70 | The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: 71 | let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to 72 | my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat: let such a one be 73 | dismissed! 74 |
75 |76 | While heeding the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any 77 | helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules. 78 |
79 |80 | According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans. 81 |
82 |All warfare is based on deception.
83 |84 | Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, 85 | we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe 86 | we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. 87 |
88 |Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
89 |90 | If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior 91 | strength, evade him. 92 |
93 |94 | If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to 95 | be weak, that he may grow arrogant. 96 |
97 |If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
98 |If his forces are united, separate them.
99 |100 | Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. 101 |
102 |103 | These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged 104 | beforehand. 105 |
106 |107 | Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple 108 | ere the battle is fought. 109 |
110 |111 | The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. 112 | Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to 113 | defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this 114 | point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose. 115 |
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