Sun Tzu

- Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher, military general and strategist and although
the exact date of his birth is unknown, it is said to have taken place during the Spring and
Autumn Period of China (the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty).
- He purportedly wrote the renowned The Art of War, a treatise on military strategy (also
known as The Thirteen Chapters) so needless to say; he had considerable impact on
Chinese and Asian history and culture.
Sun Tzu’s Philosophy
- Unlike the thinking of other major Eastern philosophers, Sun Tzu philosophy did not
focus on spiritual matters, but dealt more with practical and immediate issues.
- The Art of War had important implications for how the state was organized and run from
a political perspective as well. Sun Tzu was more concerned with the survival of the
state and therefore he focused his argument on foreign policy and defense.
Sun Tzu’s View of Governance
War is of vital importance to the survival of the state, therefore the ruler should:
1. Lead through tao, but with authority
- Rulers should lead their people by setting a moral example based on tao, to support its
cause and emphasized the importance of hierarchy and obedience. It shows that the ruler
is less of a father figure and more of an authority.
2. Surround himself with generals (professionalize warfare)
- Rulers should surround himself with military advisors or generals whereby in matters of
war.
3. Hold warfare to be an absolute last resort (rely on such things as alliances, diplomacy
and intelligence)
- Sun Tzu believed that war should be an absolute last resort and that if war is inevitable, it
should be as brief and minimally costly and damaging as possible. He placed a
tremendous emphasis on spies and intelligence because knowing the enemy and feeding
him misinformation was a very cost-effective way to both increase your chances of
victory and of keeping the war as short as possible

According to Sun Tzu, declaring a war was a least option. As much as possible, avoiding war
through diplomacy and alliances is the best pre-caution since war is a costly affair for everyone
involved some series and there was always opportunity to strike a compromise that kept the
peace. Another option is consisted of strong defenses that would make their enemies think twice
about attacking them can help to prevent massive destruction and make the war short.
  The Art of War is one of the first known treatise on warfare strategy in history. Known in
Chinese as Bingfa, this guide features information about various battle maneuvers and
tactics, as well as strategic advice on collecting information about the enemy’s location
and battlefield terrain before attacking.
 The premise of The Art of War is that war should be avoided with diplomacy. If it cannot
be avoided, it should be fought strategically and psychologically to minimize damage and
the wasting of resources.
 The Art of War has many specific battle strategies and advisements. It stresses
preparation for battle above all, including planning around climate and battle terrain,
studying the enemy’s movements and weaknesses, and proper training of soldiers
- The Art of War had important implications for how the state was organized and run from a
political perspective as well. Sun Tzu was more concerned with the survival of the state and
therefore he focused his argument on foreign policy and defense.

CONCLUSION
Sun Tzu had more a realistic approach to the architecture of the state bended rather than on
relying only on civil bureaucrats. These days, serves 2 main purposes. First, as a military treatise
for those studying war which is extremely important because it serves as a crucial counterweight
to traditional greco-roman glorification of warfare. And secondly, as an annoying marketing
gimmick to sell self-help books or business management tutorials.