The dawn of an unprecedented era of great change has begun.
This significant shift is taking place, but in what direction is it headed? How can we guide the tide of the times, overcome challenges, and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation during this period of monumental change? A deep study of traditional Chinese military culture, exemplified by “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, might provide some insights.
All revolutionary military theories emerge from addressing and resolving major issues of their time. To learn from “The Art of War,” it’s crucial to understand the historical context surrounding the emergence of this classic text.
Human history is composed of a series of changing “cycles”: technological, socio-political, economic, ideological, military, and international strategic shifts. These cycles go through phases of “emergence, development, climax, and decline,” although the durations of these phases vary. When multiple cycles of change overlap during their “development and climax” phases, human society exhibits unprecedented creativity. Today, humanity finds itself at a historical juncture where multiple currents of change converge.
“The Art of War” emerged during a period in ancient China characterized by various converging changes: transitioning from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age technologically, from a slave society to a feudal one socio-politically, and from chariot warfare to infantry and cavalry combat militarily. It broke free from the constraints of warfare guided by rituals and ethics, transforming into the more pragmatic “strategy of maneuvering.” The strategic landscape shifted from the appearance of regional hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period to the era of seven warring states during the Warring States period. Culturally, this era was marked by the famous “Hundred Schools of Thought.” It was a time of immense upheaval, where reforms, conquests, alliances, and strategies created a grand historical narrative. “The Art of War” emerged as a monument of military thought and theoretical innovation in such an environment, offering a revolutionary perspective. It introduced a scientific conceptual framework and established a groundbreaking discipline—revolutionary Chinese military strategy.
“The Art of War” comprises thirteen chapters, with strategic thinking being a central theme. The logical design of strategic planning, the principle of economic preparation for war, the wisdom of fighting battles through intelligence rather than brute force, the emphasis on achieving victory without direct conflict, and the principles of managing psychology, timing, force, and change—all these dimensions reflect the brilliance of Sun Tzu’s strategic thinking, carrying guiding significance even today. Studying “The Art of War” unveils the essence and mechanics of Eastern military studies in developing, creating, and employing military strategies.
It’s essential to note that our understanding of Sun Tzu’s strategies must evolve from personal insights to scientific theoretical acceptance, establishing a comprehensive strategic perspective.
In my study of military strategy, I’ve compared Eastern and Western military cultures and proposed the viewpoint that “Eastern military studies emphasize strategy.” Strategy does not dismiss technology but instead continually incorporates new scientific and technological energies to innovate winning strategies. In ancient China, military studies were categorized into four major areas: “strategy, formation, Yin-Yang, and skills.” “Strategy” referred to what is known today as military strategy. “The Art of War” laid the groundwork for “strategy” among various military writings. The definition of “strategy” in ancient texts suggests it’s about governing and defending the state, using unconventional methods in warfare, strategizing before engaging in battle, encompassing situational analysis, considering opposing forces’ strengths and weaknesses, and employing tactical skills. “Strategy” is about managing peace and worldly affairs, displaying vast openness and inclusivity. Liu Xiang, a scholar from the Han Dynasty, pointed out in his book “Shuo Yuan”: “Strategy has two ends, one is to understand fate, the other is to understand affairs.” Understanding fate refers to strategic planning on a broader scale, while understanding affairs involves tactical planning. Whether at a strategic or tactical level, both require profound foresight and insight, necessitating a broad strategic view.
Based on Sun Tzu’s comprehensive strategic perspective, I, from the perspective of discipline construction, interpret “strategy” as the process and wisdom crystallization of decision-makers predicting the future, understanding the situation, maintaining principles and laws, seeking benefits and avoiding harm, and orchestrating overall plans.
“The Art of War,” representing the theory of “strategy,” actually encompasses the excellent thoughts of both Confucianism and Daoism from that era. Among the three major indigenous classical traditions profoundly influencing Chinese societal development—Confucianism, Daoism, and military strategies—all advocate planning and achieving victory. Confucian values revolved around “self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and world peace,” promoting individual excellence and contributing to the world. Daoist values centered on “accomplishing deeds, achieving fame, retreating from the self, and following the natural way.” To comprehend Sun Tzu’s strategies, it’s not enough to merely recite aphorisms or interpret them superficially; one must cultivate “virtue” and “the way” consistently, infusing wisdom into national and familial sentiments, striving to reach the spiritual heights of “The victory attained by those skilled in warfare is not to be considered as good as the victory that comes from non-contention, and so the skillful in war are able to secure victory without conflict or even display their prowess.”
The revolutionary significance of “The Art of War” lies in its use of ancient Chinese complex systems’ philosophical methodology, presenting a comprehensive strategic view. It delves deep into hidden truths, revealing the general laws of warfare and all competitive activities, proposing basic principles for strategic planning: the driving force of competitive activities, the principles of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, the unconventional nature of competitive activities, the rule-breaking strategies, the dynamics of the contest, the principles of controlling initiative, and the laws of superiority in competitive activities—aligning with the optimization principles of strategic planning.
Today, we face increasingly complex societal developments, major power competitions, and potential conflicts. Issues arising from “hybrid warfare” leading to the “butterfly effect” and uncertainties from new technologies can surface at any moment. We need to apply Sun Tzu’s strategies, embedded with a complex systems’ philosophical methodology, to pave the way to the future. This is also why, in evaluating the theoretical value of handling information-based and intelligent warfare, “The Art of War” surpasses “On War,” which is based on Newtonian mechanics and Hegelian dialectics.
The unprecedented transformation humanity is experiencing spans from quantitative to qualitative changes. In this process, the face of warfare will continuously evolve. Currently, precision warfare based on information systems is prevalent, and the next stage will be intelligent warfare. The new military revolution primarily resides within the cognitive realm of military affairs, highlighting the new era’s value of Sun Tzu’s strategies.
I remember during one of my lectures at a military academy, a student asked, “What role does Sun Tzu’s strategies play in non-contact precision warfare?” I responded by highlighting that while Sun Tzu’s strategies cannot improve the precision of missiles, they contribute to the correct application of missile technology. Warfare isn’t solely about accuracy but more importantly, about appropriateness. Operational guidance isn’t just about seeking military efficiency but also about considering economic and political outcomes. It’s not solely about possessing the capability to start a war but also about having the capability to end it at the opportune moment. Lessons from winning battles but losing strategic
advantage or winning wars but losing political strategy should guide our approach to war. For non-contact precision warfare, accuracy is crucial, a technical issue. However, the correctness of operational guidance is more important—a strategic design issue, an application of strategy.
This is a hall of wisdom. Let us together continue to delve deeper into the vast and profound wisdom of Sun Tzu’s strategies!
