The Art of War by Sun Tzu



The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Introduction

The Art of War is exemplary in terms of their influence. With respect to the Sun Tzu text that influence is manifest, not only in the extensive commentary which has developed around it throughout the course of Chinese history, but also in the use made of The Art of War by such figures as Mao Tse-Tung. At this point one might ask why this text is the best embodiments of the perennial theme for our comparative purposes. The Art of War, with its instructions for rulers to apply, in the most inflexible way possible, the precepts of a punitive law so that absolute control might be maintained over the people? Moreover, our objects of comparison are not so much Sun Tzu, but texts that have captured the imagination by their ability to inspire commentary and debate, and that is Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

The political manifestation of that crisis is endemic warfare for Sun Tzu, but in the respective text he goes beyond the question of tactics and considers how what he has termed 'moral power' figures in this kind of situation. Radical change is not just the change of regime in the context of warfare. It is the change from one epoch to another, and that means a shift in the fundamental assumptions of the civilization in question. It is unclear whether or not Sun Tzu ever lived, but his text can be dated at approximately 400-320 B.C. This was in the midst of the Warring States period (481-221 B.C.), when the Chou dynasty was in decay, various kingdoms struggled for predominance, and improved weapons (including the crossbow) made warfare more deadly than it had been previously.

As for the Han Fei Tzu text, its emphasis on manipulation of the population has a Tzu bent. In times of crisis, control must be re-established by a harsh and inflexible law. However, because the respective cultural contexts are radically different, a proper comparison must seek broad categories of analysis--categories that can cross cultural boundaries without doing violence to the material being investigated and at the same time are sensitive to textual subtleties. In view of this our procedure will be as follows: the presentation of cross-cultural analytic categories pertaining to power, a brief discussion of The Art of War as exemplary text, and a comparison of these texts by way of our categories and the appropriate sub-categories, and finally a conclusion which discusses the cultural differences brought forth by the comparison.

Literary Analysis of the Art of War

The Art of War begins with Sun Tzu himself playing the central role. Having secured an audience with Ho-Lü, King of Wu, Sun Tzu is asked by the King whether he (i.e., Sun) can conduct an experiment in the controlling of troop movements using the King's concubines. Sun Tzu agrees to do this, and, after forming the women into two companies each under one of the King's favorite concubines, he patiently explains some ...