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
If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always
ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.
A translator cannot emulate the conciseness of 雜於害 “to blend
[thoughts of advantage] with disadvantage,” but the meaning is as
given. Tu Mu says: “If I wish to extricate myself from a dangerous
position, I must consider not only the enemy’s ability to injure
me, but also my own ability to gain an advantage over the enemy.
If in my counsels these two considerations are properly blended,
I shall succeed in liberating myself.... For instance, if I am
surrounded by the enemy and only think of effecting an escape, the
nervelessness of my policy will incite my adversary to pursue and
crush me; it would be far better to encourage my men to deliver a
bold counter-attack, and use the advantage thus gained to free
myself from the enemy’s toils.” See the story of Ts‘ao Ts‘ao, VII.
§ 35, note. In his first edition, Capt. Calthrop translated §§ 7–9
as follows: “The wise man perceives clearly wherein lies advantage
and disadvantage. While recognising an opportunity, he does not
overlook the risks, and saves future anxiety.” This has now been
altered into: “The wise man considers well both advantage and
disadvantage. He sees a way out of adversity, _and on the day of
victory to danger is not blind_.” Owing to a needless inversion of
the Chinese, the words which I have italicised are evidently
intended to represent § 8!
10. 是故屈諸侯者以害役諸侯者以業趨諸侯者以利
Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them;
Chia Lin enumerates several ways of inflicting this injury, some
of which would only occur to the Oriental mind:—“Entice away the
enemy’s best and wisest men, so that he may be left without
counsellors. Introduce traitors into his country, that the
government policy may be rendered futile. Foment intrigue and
deceit, and thus sow dissension between the ruler and his
ministers. By means of every artful contrivance, cause
deterioration amongst his men and waste of his treasure. Corrupt
his morals by insidious gifts leading him into excess. Disturb and
unsettle his mind by presenting him with lovely women.” Chang Yü
(after Wang Hsi) considers the 害 to be military chastisement: “Get
the enemy,” he says, “into a position where he must suffer injury,
and he will submit of his own accord.” Capt. Calthrop twists Sun
Tzŭ’s words into an absurdly barbarous precept: “In reducing an
enemy to submission, inflict all possible damage upon him.”
make trouble for them,
業 is defined by Ts‘ao Kung as 事, and his definition is generally
adopted by the commentators. Tu Mu, however, seems to take it in
the sense of “possessions,” or, as we might say, “assets,” which
he considers to be 兵衆國富人和令行 “a large army, a rich exchequer,
harmony amongst the soldiers, punctual fulfilment of commands.”
These give us a whip-hand over the enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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