Sun Tzu's The Art of War is considered the earliest known treatise on military strategy and is divided into 13 chapters. It has profoundly influenced Chinese, Japanese, and Mongol military thinking. Some of Sun Tzu's key teachings include knowing yourself and your enemy, avoiding prolonged wars, taking the enemy's land intact rather than destroying it, using deception, adapting your strategy to the situation, and employing spies to gain intelligence on the enemy. The Art of War continues to be studied for its insights on leadership, management, and competition that are applicable in both military and civilian contexts.

1. MARA M. HANNA
7/7/2011
Prof. Richard Aronin
Risk and Change Management
NYU – Summer 2011

2. “Shows
managers how
to be fearless
in resolving
conflicts.”
Boardroom reports
Military
History/Business
around 512 B.C.
/timeless
Oxford
University Press

3. Sun Tzu’s Art of War is
considered to be the
basic of Military Strategy
ever written Before
Christ. Had a profound
influence on:
Chinese history: it is the
source of Mao Tse‐tung’s
strategic theories and of the
tactical doctrine of the
Chinese armies.
The Mongol‐Tartars: Genghis
Khan who conquered half
the world including Russia in
1206; and all the way to
Anatolia – nowadays Turkey.
Japanese military thought as
seen in the The Book of Five
Rings written by the
Samurai/warrior Miyamoto
Musashi circa 1645 (which
some business leaders
nowadays also find its
discussion of conflict and
taking the advantage to be
relevant to their work. )
Statue of Sun Tzu in
Yurihama, Tottori, Japan ‐‐
A Chinese Military
General
Sun Tzu 孙子 orSunzi
c. 544 BC – c. 496 BC

4. Ho‐Lu King of Wu (left)
Machiavelli (Top Right)
Clausewitz (Bottom R)

5. Introduced to the WEST by
Father J.J. M. Amiot, a Jesuit and a native of
Toulon, who spent years in Peking,
published in Paris Chez Didiot l’aine “Art
Militaire Des Chinois” in 1772; at the behest
of M. Bertin, Minister of State under Louis
XV.
We could draw comparison in term of a
military strategist such as:
The Italian Niccolò Machiavelli who
was in a diplomatic council responsible for
negotiation and military affairs, carrying out,
between 1499 and 1512, several diplomatic
missions, to the court of Louis XII in France.
Although a diplomat and a political
philosopher, in his Political treatise The
Prince 1512, as a political scientist,
Machiavelli emphasizes realism over idealism
the occasional need for the methodical
exercise of brute force, deceit, and so on. He
encouraged ambition and risk taking.

6. But more so to Carl von Clausewitz, who was
a Prussian soldier and German military theorist who
stressed the moral and political aspects of war. In
his principal work On War, the West's premier
work on the philosophy of war – a dialectical
approach to military analysis; he defined “War is
thus an act of force to compel our enemy to do our
will.”
One of the main source of confusion is his approach
is seen in Clausewitz's famous line that "War is a
mere continuation of politics by other means," ("Der
Krieg ist eine bloße Fortsetzung der Politik mit
anderen Mitteln") while accurate as far as it goes,
was not intended as a statement of fact. Perhaps
Clausewitz’ theory was too abstract for concrete‐
minded soldiers to follow the course of his
argument, thus missing the underlying of his
thought – which according to [B.H. Liddlell Hart
[another famous military writer] did not differ much
from Sun Tzu’s conclusions (in his exposition in the
Art of War) as it appeared to do so on the surface.
The clarity of Sun Tzu’s thought could have
corrected the obscurity of Clausewitz’s. (pg. vi)

7. The precepts outlined by
Sun Tzu are regularly
applied outside the realm
of military theory,
on Leading with Wisdom,
an essential tool for
modern corporate
warriors battling to gain
the advantage in the
boardroom:
By anyone interested in
getting ahead of the
competition;
By Japanese Businessmen;
For anyone struggling to
gain the upper hand in
confrontations and
competitions.
Was touted in the Movie
WALL STREET as the
corporate raider’s bible;
Though GREED is NEVER
TOO Good!

8. There are 13 Chapters 十三章
I ‐ ESTIMATES ‐ Laying Plans 計篇
II ‐ WAGING WAR 作戰篇
III ‐ OFFENSIVE STRATEGY 謀攻篇
IV – TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS 形篇
V ‐ ENERGY 勢篇
VI – WEAKNESS & STRENGTHS 虚實篇
VII ‐ MANOEUVRE 軍爭篇
VIII – THE NINE VARIABLES 九變篇
IX – MARCHES 行軍篇
X – TERRAIN 地形篇
XI–THE 9 VARIETIES OF GROUND九地篇
XII – ATTACK BY FIRE 火攻篇
XIII – EMPLOYMENT OF SECRET AGENTS – Spies 用間篇
A bamboo
version of
The Art of War
孫子兵法

9. I.1. 一
War is a matter of vital importance to the State.
It is mandatory that it be thoroughly
studied. The art of war is governed by five
constant factors:
The Moral Law/Influence:
Weather/Heaven:
The Commander: virtues of wisdom,
sincerity, humanity, compassion, courage, and
strictness.
Doctrine: By Method & Discipline
II.2. 二
While we have heard of blundering swiftness in
war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that
was prolonged. War is like unto fire; those who
will not put aside weapons are themselves
consumed by them.
If war drags on without cessation men and
women will resent not being able to marry.
When troops are rich and arrogant, they will no
longer have the desire to fight.
Treat the captives well, and care for them.

10. III.3. 三
Generally in war the best policy is to take a
state intact; to ruin it is inferior to this.
To subdue the enemy without fighting is the
acme of skill.
He whose generals are able and not interfered
with by the sovereign will be victorious.
Know your enemy and know yourself; in a
hundred battles you will never be in peril. But
if ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself,
you are certain in every battle to be in peril.
IV.4. 四
Anciently the skillful warriors first made
themselves invincible and awaited the enemy’s
moment of vulnerability.
In planning, never a useless move; in strategy,
no step taken in vain –CHESS.
Those skilled in war cultivate the TAO. Those
who excel in war first cultivate their own
humanity and justice and maintain their laws
and institutions. By these means they make
their governments invincible.

11. V.5. 五
Generally, management of many is the same as
management of few. And to control many is the
same as to control few. This is a matter of
formations and signals.
A skilled commander seeks victory from the
situation and does not demand it of his
subordinates. He selects his men and they exploit
the situation.
Do not demand accomplishment of those who
HAVE NO TALENT.
VI.6. 六
Generally, he who occupies the field of battle
first and awaits his enemy is at ease; he who
comes later to the scene and rushes into the
fight is weary.
Thus I say that victory can be created. For even
if the enemy is numerous, I can prevent him
from engaging.
Now an army may be likened to water, as water
shapes its flow in accordance with the ground,
so an army manages its victory in accordance
with the situation of the enemy.

12. VII.7. 七
Nothing is more difficult than the art of
manoeuvre.
War is based on deception.
When you plunder the countryside, divide
your forces. When you conquer territory,
divide the profits. To a surrounded enemy
you must leave a way of escape.
VIII.8. 八
In General, the commander receives his
mandate from the sovereign.
In communicating ground, unite with your
allies; In death ground, fight.
There are occasions when the commands of
the sovereign need not be obeyed.
[Concubines’ Story] When you see the
correct course, act; do not wait for orders.

13. IX.9. 九
Too frequent regards indicate that the
general is at the end of his resources; too
frequent punishments that he is in acute
distress.
Command the troops with civility and
imbue them uniformly with martial ardor
and it may be said that victory is certain.
X.10. 十
When the officers are valiant and the
troops ineffective the army is in distress.
Because such a general regards his men as
infants they will march with him into the
deepest valleys.
And therefore I say: ‘Know the enemy,
know yourself; your victory will never be
endangered. Know the ground, know the
weather; your victory will then be total.’

14. XI.11. 十一
The doctrine of war is to follow the enemy
situation in order to decide on battle.
Therefore at first be shy as a maiden. When the
enemy gives you an opening be swift as a hare and
he will be unable to withstand you.
XII.12. 十二
There are five methods of attacking with fire: to
burn arsenals; 5. to use incendiary missiles.
And therefore it is said that enlightened rulers
deliberate upon the plans, and good generals
execute them.
If not in the interests of the state, do not act. If
you cannot succeed, do not use troops. If you are
not in danger, do not fight.
A sovereign cannot raise an army because he is
enraged, nor can a general fight because he is
resentful. For while an angered man may again be
happy, and a resentful man again be pleased, a
state that has perished cannot be
restored, nor can the dead be brought back
to life.

15. The reason the enlightened prince and the wise general
conquer the enemy wherever they move and their
achievements surpass those of ordinary men is
foreknowledge.
What is called ‘foreknowledge’ cannot be elicited from
spirits, or from gods, or by analogy with past events, nor
from calculations. It must be obtained from men who know
the enemy situation.
Now there are five sorts of secret agents :
1. Native agents are those of the enemy’s country people
whom we employ.
2. Inside agents are enemy officials whom we employ.
3. Doubled agents are enemy spies whom we employ.
4. Expendable agents are those of our own spies who are
deliberately given fabricated information.
5. Living agents are those who return with information.
He who is not sage and wise, humane and just, cannot use
secret agents. And he who is not delicate and subtle cannot
get the truth out of them.
Delicate indeed! Truly delicate! There is no place where
espionage is not used.
An army without secret agents is exactly like a man
without eyes or ears.
Gen. David Petraeus to head the CIA ‐ Cyberspace