Strategic thinking from the author of The Art of War Sun Tzu Relevant Today
Few ancient writers enjoy the same level of recognition as Sun Tzu, the famous philosopher and general of ancient China. Quotations from his timeless treatise, the “Art of War,” appear in popular culture, and the entire book is frequently studied by military and business students around the world. Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” features thirteen chapters describing how to take into account all the important variables when trying to win a conflict. The principles can be applied to military problems as well as market challenges or even personal struggles.
The precise dates of Sun Tzu’s birth and death are not known, but history has proven his existence around 500 B.C. C in China. Born to Sun Ping, a senior military officer in the state of Qi, Sun Tzu grew up with an upbringing focused on military affairs. At the time, it was common for Chinese generals to write about their war philosophies, but it has been Sun Tzu’s work that has survived the centuries. What made his “Art of War” so compelling that it’s literally still in print 2,500 years after he was first tattooed on strips of bamboo?
Part of the resilience of Sun Tzu’s ideas comes from his success as a general. Ancient China was a complex chessboard of highly civilized but warring states, and Sun Tzu enjoyed a respectable career within this challenging environment. Sun Tzu was in the service of He Lu, the ruler of the state of Wu, who made him a general of the kingdom. In this role, Sun Tzu participated in numerous campaigns. His successes included the destruction of the state of Yue, the territorial expansion of Wu, and the occupation of the city of Ying.
His successful application of his strategic thinking surely checks the strength of his literary work. His “Art of War” is not limited to narrow military concepts, such as positioning soldiers in the field. Sun Tzu took into account all the forces acting on a state. War is a tool of the state, and as Sun Tzu wrote, “War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life and death, the path to survival or ruin.” But this crucial element of state power could not operate independently of diplomacy, politics, economics, geography, and philosophy. Each chapter of “Art of War” explores these and other factors in detail and teaches that the application of military force must be used in a multidisciplinary approach. Geography certainly gets a lot of emphasis because the actual land being fought for underpins military strategy, but it’s not the only consideration for a general.
Among the many wise pieces of advice one can glean from “The Art of War” is Sun Tzu’s insistence that war should not be started hastily, on optimistic assumptions, or without good intelligence. The stakes in war are too high for the state to lose, so it should only use its military tools when victory can be achieved. Sun Tzu repeatedly emphasizes the economics of warfare because of the high cost that maintaining an army in the field exacts from his society. War should not be the first tool that a state uses to obtain the desired results because it is very expensive.
In the last chapter of his book, Sun Tzu begins with a statement that rings true today, as my own country, the United States, finds itself financing a protracted war. Of Chapter 13 “Use of spies” Sun Tzu wrote:
“Now then, when an army of a hundred thousand is raised and sent out on a distant campaign, the expenses borne by the people together with the outlays from the treasury will amount to a thousand gold pieces daily. Furthermore, there will be a continuous commotion both at home and abroad, the people will be exhausted by the corvee of transport, and the agricultural work of seven hundred thousand families will be interrupted”.
Reading this, it amazes me how little some things can change even after thousands of years. War is costly, and its cost radiates through the population that supports the army. This truth dramatically reveals the wisdom that Sun Tzu offered in his writings. From “Art of War” the reader will gain a clear method for assessing almost any given situation and then planning a path to success. In his discussion of war, Sun Tzu teaches his readers to think about where they are, what they are doing, whether they can support what they are doing, whether they know what they are up against, what is the easiest method to achieve their goals, and so on. Sun Tzu continually reminds the reader (and in his lifetime, no doubt, himself) that the state should not think only of what it wants without regard to external influences. For people, this holistic way of thinking helps them overcome the blinders that emotions often place on their actions. The obstacles to victory cannot be ignored. They must be treated with care.
The world of ancient China in which Sun Tzu lived might have been simpler in the sense of less technology, but the stakes in war were no less important than they are today, and the path to finding victory or success was not easier.
As a very short work, “Art of War” can be read in an hour or two, but it will give readers something to think about for years to come. The advice of him is stuck in the head. It may not be easy to follow, but Sun Tzu’s famous statement that “every battle is won or lost before it is fought” serves as the ultimate reminder that victory comes to those who plan.