Sun Tzŭ On The Art Of War

Chinese commander and philosopher Sun Tzŭ who lived about 500 BCE penned the military manual The Art of War as an approach for war resolution. The books thirteen chapters provide in-depth guidance on both conflict and diplomacy. According to Sun Tzŭ war is a necessary evil that should only be resorted to in extreme circumstances. The book places a strong emphasis on the value of strategy preparation and the need to comprehend ones opponents in order to succeed. The significance of deceit the need of knowing oneself and ones opponent and the function of leadership in war are some of the books major topics. According to Sun Tzŭ conflicts may be won by deceit and meticulous preparation rather than actual combat. He emphasizes the need of understanding ones own advantages and disadvantages as well as those of ones adversary. His argument that a commander must be competent resolute and able to motivate his people also underlines the importance of leadership in winning conflicts. Military commanders have read and studied the book extensively throughout history and many contemporary military plans reflect its impact. However since its ideas may be applied to a broad variety of circumstances where strategic planning and leadership are needed it is also relevant in other fields such as business and politics.