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As a means of thinking about power its use and abuse in our world today, we need to understand how various cultures have understood related concepts (war, peace, harmony, conflict) at various times in human history. To that end, Sun Tzus Art of War provides a real challenge; though written centuries ago in a non-Western culture, some ideas and concepts have entered our own culture, often in very unlikely places. Initial assignment: We watched the Great Books film on the Art of War at the last honors session. Students were asked to find and read the book the Art of War online: Internet sites where the full text of Art of War may be found (among many others...): http://www.sonshi.com/learn.html http://www.kimsoft.com/polwar.htm http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html --------
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You should have your reading completed and a rough draft of your response paper for our next honors meeting, shortly after spring break. We will meet in a group with either Ms. Shepard or Mr. Savage guiding the discussion which
students will be responsible for their active participation. We will use your quotations and papers as the basis for class discussion. After this session, you will be asked to complete a final draft of your essay. The due date for this final draft will be announced later.
Tzu on the Art of War as a sign of his status a master of philosophy. The "Tzu - " is similarly shared with Lao Tzu - , and Confucius (whose Chinese name is Kon Tzu - ). The Truth: The place and time of the creation of the Art of War are quite certain and supported by numerous historical records and evidences. On the other hand there is no information on Sun Tzu that isn't contradicted by other sources. If there was a single person behind the Art of War, we can assume that they would have wanted to remain in safe obscurity as recommended in the book itself. This may be further evidence of the brilliance of its writer. There are several instances in Asian history of people that created fake personas complete with homes, families and documents so that they could carry on their government or military work without showing the enemy their true identities. This made them invulnerable to attack. Probably some parts of the legend are true, but at this late stage there is no way to tell which parts.
Chinese Character Direct translation Meaning in the Art of War Examples - dao path mutual philosophy & purpose of the group patriotism, team sprit, shared values - tian heaven environmental factors time, seasons, light, darkness - di earth situation distance from opponent, even or uneven ground - jiang leader leadership intelligence, credibility, compassion, courage, discipline - fa law art, as in "Art of War" the ability to perceive and implement the strategic concept Mutual philosophy: Even enemies will help each other if they are together on a boat that is in trouble. Similarly shared ideas and identification bind people together into a useful, cohesive team. Business examples: Team spirit, employees identification with the brand, mission statement (in the rare case that the staff actually believe in it), mutual trust amongst staff and management. Environment: The prevailing conditions determine what plans you can undertake. These conditions are too big and general to be controlled by people. You need to understand them and take them into account. Situation: This is similar in effect to environment but on a smaller scale that you and your opponent can control, if you know how. Leadership: Leadership allows you to make good plans because of your perception, foresight, emotional intelligence and objectivity. It allows you to implement your plans because of your control of your troops. Art: This is the skill and ability to implement your strategy. Preparation and coordination are essential here. Other Recurring Ideas; Sun Tzu explains several times that you should make yourself well defended, but that victory comes from taking advantage of your opponents' actions. Straightforward attacks are hard to win. Having a conflict is bad. Having a long conflict is always a disaster, even if you are victorious in the end. Popular Art of War Quotes Here are a few of the more popular quotes from the Art of War: Goh Chok Tong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, recently quoted Sun Tzu when speaking about terrorism: "If we are to win the war against terrorism, we must, as Sun Tzu in The Art of War says, "Understand the enemy." And we must, all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims, Americans, Europeans, Arabs, and Asians, unite against it. But we must create the conditions that will make this essential unity possible. "When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move."
"In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory." Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle ... . They conquer by strategy. Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril. In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. To ... not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues. What is of the greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed: One cannot afford to neglect opportunity. The general must be first in the toils and fatigues of the army. In the heat of summer he does not spread his parasol, nor in the cold of winter don thick clothing ... . He waits until the army's wells have been dug and only then drinks; until the army's food is cooked before he eats; until the army's fortifications have been completed, to shelter himself. A sovereign of high character and intelligence must be able to know the right man, should place the responsibility on him, and expect results. If an enemy has alliances, the problem is grave and the enemy's position strong; if he has no alliances, the problem is minor and the enemy's position weak. Site 2004 Robert Friedler