Response

P r i m a r y S o u r c e D o c u m e n t w i t h Q u e s t i o n s ( D B Q s )

S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E S U N Z I ( A R T O F W A R ) I n t r o d u c t i o n During the Eastern Zhou period (770-221 BCE) the Zhou kings exercised little real power. The feudal lords of the various constituent parts of the Zhou set themselves up as the kings of independent states and fought innumerable battles against each other in a constantly shifting pattern of alliances and enmities. It was in this context that men like Confucius, Mencius, Lord Shang, Han Fei and others offered their advice and services to the various feudal lords as civilian officials and political advisers. At the same time, other men offered their expertise in the arts of war. The most famous of the military strategists of the Eastern Zhou period is Sunzi (also called Sun Wu), the putative author of a collection of teachings entitled Sunzi’s Art of War. As in the case of Laozi, there is no firm evidence that Sunzi existed. He is supposed to have been a contemporary of Confucius, but the book bearing his name was compiled a hundred years later, sometime in the second half of the fourth century BCE. Whatever the identity of the author or authors, the Art of War has had tremendous influence in China over the ages. It has also been read in military schools and corporate boardrooms around the world by men and women hoping to gain an advantage in the “dog-eat-dog” worlds of war and business. D o c u m e n t E x c e r p t s w i t h Q u e s t i o n s (Longer selection follows this section) From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999), 216-219. © 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Selections
from
the
Sunzi
(Art
of
War)
 
 The
military
is
a
great
matter
of
the
state.
It
is
the
ground
of
life
and
death,
the
Way
(dao)
of
 survival
or
extinction.
One
cannot
but
investigate
it.
Thus
base
it
in
the
five.
Compare
by
means
 of
the
appraisals,
and
so
seek
out
its
nature.



The
 first
 is
 the
 way
 (dao),
 the
 second
 is
 Heaven,
 the
 third
 is
 Earth,
 the
 fourth
 is
 the
 general,
the
fifth
is
method.



The
Way
is
what
orders
the
people
to
have
the
 same
purpose
as
their
superior.
Thus
 they
can
die
with
him,
live
with
him,
and
not
harbor
deceit.




 …



 The
military
is
a
way
(dao)
of
deception.



Thus
when
able,
manifest
inability.
When
active,
manifest
inactivity.

 When
near,
manifest
as
far.
When
far,
manifest
as
near.

 When
he
seeks
advantage,
lure
him.

 When
he
is
in
chaos,
take
him.



P r i m a r y S o u r c e D o c u m e n t , w i t h Q u e s t i o n s ( D B Q ) o n S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E S U N Z I ( A R T O F W A R )

A s i a f o r E d u c a t o r s | C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y | h t t p : / / a f e . e a s i a . c o l u m b i a . e d u P a g e 2 o f 4

When
he
is
substantial,
prepare
against
him.

 When
he
is
strong,
avoid
him.

 Attack
where
he
is
unprepared.
Emerge
where
he
does
not
expect.

 These
are
the
victories
of
the
military
lineage.
They
cannot
be
transmitted
in
advance.



 …



 What
is
meant
by
skilled
is
to
be
victorious
over
the
easily
defeated.
Thus
the
battles
of


the
skilled
are
 without
extraordinary
 victory,
without
reputation
for
wisdom,
and
 without
merit
for
courage.



Thus
 one’s
 victories
 are
 without
 error.
 Being
 without
 error,
 what
 one
 arranges
 is
 necessarily
victorious,
since
one
is
victorious
over
the
already
defeated.



One
skilled
at
battle
takes
a
stand
in
the
ground
of
no‑defeat
and
so
does
not
lose
the
 enemy’s
defeat.



Therefore,
 the
 victorious
 military
 is
 first
 victorious
 and
 after
 that
 does
 battle.
 The
 defeated
military
first
does
battle
and
after
that
seeks
victory.



 Q u e s t i o n s :

1. Compare Sunzi’s thinking on war with the understanding of the Dao articulated in the Daodejing (The Classic of the Way and its Power). Are there similarities between the two?

2. What would a Confucian scholar think of the ideas expressed here? Is Confucius’ understanding of “the Way” the same as that of Sunzi?

3. What does Sunzi mean when he says that “the victorious military is first victorious and after that does battle”?

L o n g e r S e l e c t i o n From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999), 216-219. © 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Selections
from
the
Sunzi
(Art
of
War)
 
 Fundamental
Definitions
 The
military
is
a
great
matter
of
the
state.

It
is
the
ground
of
life
and
death,
the
Way
(dao)
of
 survival
or
extinction.
One
cannot
but
investigate
it.
Thus
base
it
in
the
five.
Compare
by
means
 of
the
appraisals,
and
so
seek
out
its
nature.



The
 first
 is
 the
 way
 (dao),
 the
 second
 is
 Heaven,
 the
 third
 is
 Earth,
 the
 fourth
 is
 the
 general,
the
fifth
is
method.



The
Way
is
what
orders
the
people
to
have
the
 same
purpose
as
their
superior.
Thus
 they
can
die
with
him,
live
with
him,
and
not
harbor
deceit.



P r i m a r y S o u r c e D o c u m e n t , w i t h Q u e s t i o n s ( D B Q ) o n S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E S U N Z I ( A R T O F W A R )

A s i a f o r E d u c a t o r s | C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y | h t t p : / / a f e . e a s i a . c o l u m b i a . e d u P a g e 3 o f 4

Heaven
is
yin
and
yang,
cold
and
hot,
the
order
of
the
seasons.
 Going
with
it,
going
 against
it
‑‑
this
is
military
victory.



Earth
is
high
and
low,
broad
and
narrow,
far
and
near,
steep
and
level,
death
and
life.

 The
general
is
wisdom,
trustworthiness,
courage,
and
strictness.

 Method
is
ordering
divisions,
the
way
of
ranking,
and
principal
supply.




 Deception
and
Reversal
 The
military
is
a
way
(dao)
of
deception.



Thus
when
able,
manifest
inability.
When
active,
manifest
inactivity.

 When
near,
manifest
as
far.
When
far,
manifest
as
near.

 When
he
seeks
advantage,
lure
him.

 When
he
is
in
chaos,
take
him.

 When
he
is
substantial,
prepare
against
him.

 When
he
is
strong,
avoid
him.

 Attack
where
he
is
unprepared.

 Emerge
where
he
does
not
expect.

 These
are
the
victories
of
the
military
lineage.
They
cannot
be
transmitted

 in
advance.




 On
Victory
 In
general,
the
method
of
employing
the
military
‑‑



Taking
a
state
whole
is
superior.
Destroying
it
is
inferior
to
this.

 Taking
a
division
whole
is
superior.
Destroying
it
is
inferior
to
this.

 Taking
a
battalion
whole
is
superior.
Destroying
it
is
inferior
to
this.

 Taking
a
company
whole
is
superior.
Destroying
it
is
inferior
to
this.

 Taking
a
squad
whole
is
superior.
Destroying
it
is
inferior
to
this.

 Therefore,
 one
 hundred
 victories
 in
 one
 hundred
 battles
 is
 not
 skillful.
 Subduing
 the


other’s
military
without
battle
is
skillful.

 Thus
 the
 superior
 military
 cuts
 down
 strategy.
 Its
 inferior
 cuts
 down
 alliances.
 Its


inferior
cuts
down
the
military.
The
worst
attacks
cities.

 
 Knowing
victory
has
five
aspects.



Knowing
when
one
can
and
cannot
do
battle
is
victory.

 Discerning
the
use
of
the
many
and
the
few
is
victory.

 Superior
and
inferior
desiring
the
same
is
victory.

 Using
preparation
to
await
the
unprepared
is
victory.

 The
general
being
capable
and
the
ruler
not
interfering
is
victory.



These
five
are
a
way
(dao)
of
knowing
victory.
 Thus
it
is
said
‑‑



 Knowing
the
other
and
knowing
oneself,
 In
one
hundred
battles
no
danger.

 Not
knowing
the
other
and
knowing
oneself,



P r i m a r y S o u r c e D o c u m e n t , w i t h Q u e s t i o n s ( D B Q ) o n S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E S U N Z I ( A R T O F W A R )

A s i a f o r E d u c a t o r s | C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y | h t t p : / / a f e . e a s i a . c o l u m b i a . e d u P a g e 4 o f 4

One
victory
for
one
defeat.

 Not
knowing
the
other
and
not
knowing
oneself,

 In
every
battle
certain
danger.




 In
the
past
the
skillful
first
made
themselves
invincible
to
await
the
enemy’s
vincibility.

 Invincibility
lies
in
oneself.
Vincibility
lies
in
the
enemy.

 Thus
 the
 skilled
 can
 make
 themselves
 invincible.
 They
 cannot
 cause
 the
 enemy’s


vincibility.
Thus
it
is
said,
“Victory
can
be
known
but
cannot
be
made.”

 Invincibility
is
defense.
Vincibility
is
attack.

 Defend
and
one
has
a
surplus.
Attack
and
one
is
insufficient.

 One
skilled
at
defense
hides
below
the
nine
earths
and
moves
above
the
nine
heavens.


Thus
one
can
preserve
oneself
and
be
all‑victorious.

 
 In
seeing
victory,
not
going
beyond
what
everyone
knows
is
not
skilled.


































































Victory
in
battle
that
all‑under‑Heaven
calls
skilled
is
not
skilled.

 Thus
lifting
the
down
of
an
autumn
leaf
does
not
make
great
strength.
Seeing
the
sun


and
the
moon
does
not
make
a
clear
eye.
Hearing
thunder
does
not
make
a
keen
ear.

 What
is
meant
by
skilled
is
to
be
victorious
over
the
easily
defeated.
Thus
the
battles
of


the
skilled
are
 without
extraordinary
 victory,
without
reputation
for
wisdom,
and
 without
merit
for
courage.



Thus
 one’s
 victories
 are
 without
 error.
 Being
 without
 error,
 what
 one
 arranges
 is
 necessarily
victorious,
since
one
is
victorious
over
the
already
defeated.



One
skilled
at
battle
takes
a
stand
in
the
ground
of
no‑defeat
and
so
does
not
lose
the
 enemy’s
defeat.



Therefore,
 the
 victorious
 military
 is
 first
 victorious
 and
 after
 that
 does
 battle.
 The
 defeated
military
first
does
battle
and
after
that
seeks
victory.