中国文化英语教程Unit

The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
“Planning before going to war.”
• Before entering a war, one must compare and analyze all factors of both sides, which mainly include: morale (士气), climate, terrain, commanders, and rules.
• In his discussion of “strategy” in On War, Carl von Clausewitz attributes its origin to “treachery”.
• By “treachery” Sunzi meant it is crucial to deceive the enemy with false impressions.
The Dialectical Thinking of Sunzi
• Sunzi said, “there is no fixed way of using force, just as there is no fixed form to water. He who can win a victory by adapting to changes in enemy forces is a master of the art of war.”
• It is best to take over a city intact and to win victory through minimal killing.
• This is the principle of a “decent victory”.
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
• Such holistic (全面的) thinking is a special feature of Sunzi’s Art of War.
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
“One can fight and win a hundred wars if one knows both oneself and the enemy.”
孙子曰：兵者，国之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。 故经之以五事，校之以计，而索其情：一曰道，二曰天，三曰地， 四曰将，五曰法。
——《孙子兵法 始计第一》
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
• The five aspects for consideration during war were echoed by Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), a German war expert, as “strategic factors”.
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
• Of the rich strategic thoughts of Sunzi, the following are four aspects selected for illustration: ✓ “Planning before going to war (先计而后战).” ✓ “One can fight and win a hundred wars if one knows both oneself and the enemy (知 彼知己，百战不殆).” ✓ “The army survives by treachery (兵以诈立).” ✓ “Winning a war without fighting it (不战而屈 人之兵).”
• It also means “attacking the enemy at an unexpected time and place”.
• It is by using treachery that an expert of war devises strategies at headquarters while directing his army a thousand miles away to victory.
• It is not plausible to fight and win wars. • It’s ideal to achieve victory through means
other than war, such as politics, diplomacy, and other deterrent (威慑的) measures. • These ideas of Sunzi reflect his deep understanding of what we today call “holistic war (整体战争)”.
Introduction
• Sun Wu, respectfully called Sunzi, was born sometime between 550 and 540 BC, or toward the end of the Spring and Autumn Period.
• He was a native of the State of Qi but later moved to the State of Wu, where he became the king’s trusted strategist.
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
• The odds for winning are half and half if one knows oneself but not the enemy. And one is bound to fail if one knows neither oneself nor the enemy.
Introduction
• Sunzi’s Art of War (Sunzi Bingfa), is an ancient classic of war, consisting of 13 chapters in about 6,000 characters.
• As many of the book’s contents bear features of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), some scholars believe the book was probably written in the middle of that period.
• It excels over the other books in terms of strategy design, philosophical grounding and in tactical application.
• Over the centuries it has been respected as “the source for all books on war (百代谈兵之祖).”
不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼不知己，没战必败。 ——《孙子兵法 谋攻第三》
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
“The army survives by treachery.”
• Sunzi said, “The use of force is actually the use of treachery.”
• One or two of these factors are insufficient for one to judge the feasibility and consequences of a war. Consideration must be given to all these factors and their combinations.
What’s the Chinese version of these lines? Where are they selected from? Whose words are they?
Lead-in
Text study
Introduction The Strategic Thought of Sunzi The Dialectical Thinking of Sunzi Sunzi’s Caution Against War Sunzi’s Wisdom Beyond the Military
The Dialectical Thinking of Sunzi
• The rich philosophical thought in Sunzi’s Art of War has aroused greater and greater attention from scholars of ancient Chinese philosophy.
• It represents the theories of war of the Sunzi School originated by Sun Wu.
Introduction
• Of the more than 3,000 books on war from the pre-Qin (before 221 BC) period to the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911), Sunzi’s Art of War stands out as the greatest classic.
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
“Winning a war without fighting it.”
• To Sunzi, the purpose of a war is to win victory, not to kill as many people as possible.
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi
• Treachery is meant to entice (诱使) the enemy to make all sorts of mistakes, defeating them after they all into a state of chaos.
知彼知己，百战不殆； ——《孙子兵法 谋攻第三》
• The purpose of considering the above five aspects, is to know the real situation on both sides.
• It is not easy to get to know the enemy, because they do their best to keep their secrets and resort to all sorts of deception.
The Dialectical Thinking of Sunzi
Changeability • Situations of war are changeable at every
moment, perhaps the most changeable of all things in the world. • To win a war, the commander must be able to keep abreast of and adapt to such changes.
Unit 3
Sunzi’s Art of War:
Source for All Books on War
Content
Lead-in Text study Exercises
Lead-in
“The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a rΒιβλιοθήκη Baiduad either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”