What the Chinese Learned from Sun-Tzu
Abstract
The Sun-tzu ping-fa (Sun-tzu: The Art of Warfare) dates back to the Warring States period (c. 403-221 B.C.) making it the oldest and most widely studied military classic. The Warring States period was a formative phase of Chinese civilization. In addition to Confucian, Mohist, and Legalist philosophers, there were specialists schooled in military tactics and strategies for waging effective warfare. Sun-tzu is the best known of the military specialists and is probably best described as a pragmatic realist. This is evident in the use and application of shih as it relates to strategic advantage and strategic positioning. For Sun-tzu, the virtuous leader is able to achieve victory without war if he understands and is able to skillfully apply strategic advantage and strategic positioning. War and its avoidance and the fundamentals of shih have developed into a distinctively Chinese pragmatic and calculative security policy. An analysis of China's policy regarding its strategic periphery is a window of opportunity to see these influences at work. From this analysis we may gain a better understanding of how China views regional and global balance of power. As patterns of behavior, traits, or tendencies become clearer, they may provide insights for more collaborative relations with China and be useful in constructing the basic conceptual framework for the United States to develop its grand strategy for a more cooperative China.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA391266
Entities
People
- Colleen K. Holmes
Organizations
- United States Army War College