Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War: The Oldest Military Treatise in the WorldSunzi, active 6th century B.C.
Philosophy
Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War: The Oldest Military Treatise in the World
Sunzi, active 6th century B.C.
Military art and science -- Early works to 1800; War -- Early works to 1800
Chang Yü attempts to explain the sequence of chapters as follows:
“Chapter IV, on Tactical Dispositions, treated of the offensive
and the defensive; chapter V, on Energy, dealt with direct and
indirect methods. The good general acquaints himself first with
the theory of attack and defence, and then turns his attention to
direct and indirect methods. He studies the art of varying and
combining these two methods before proceeding to the subject of
weak and strong points. For the use of direct or indirect methods
arises out of attack and defence, and the perception of weak and
strong points depends again on the above methods. Hence the
present chapter comes immediately after the chapter on Energy.”
1. 孫子曰凡先處戰地而待敵者佚後處戰地而趨戰者勞
Sun Tzŭ said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of
the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field
and has to hasten to battle, will arrive exhausted.
Instead of 處, the _Yü Lan_ has in both clauses the stronger word
據. For the antithesis between 佚 and 勞, cf. I. § 23, where
however 勞 is used as a verb.
2. 故善戰者致人而不致於人
Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does
not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.
The next paragraph makes it clear that 致 does not merely mean, as
Tu Mu says, 令敵來就我 “to make the enemy approach me,” but rather
to make him go in any direction I please. It is thus practically
synonymous with 制. Cf. Tu Mu’s own note on V. § 19. One mark of a
great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at
all.[170]
3. 能使敵人自至者利之也能使敵人不得至者害之也
By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach
of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible
for the enemy to draw near.
In the first case, he will entice him with a bait; in the second,
he will strike at some important point which the enemy will have
to defend.
4. 故敵佚能勞之飽能飢之安能動之
If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him;
This passage may be cited as evidence against Mei Yao-Ch‘ên’s
interpretation of I. § 23.
if well supplied with food, he can starve him out;
飢 is probably an older form than 饑, the reading of the original
text. Both are given in the 說文.
if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.
The subject to 能 is still 善戰者; but these clauses would read
better as direct admonitions, and in the next sentence we find Sun
Tzŭ dropping insensibly into the imperative.
5. 出其所必趨趨其所不意
Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly
to places where you are not expected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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