THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD Translated from the Chinese
By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[This is the basic text of Sun Tzu on the Art of War. It was extracted from Mr. Giles' complete work as titled above. The commentary itself, which, of course includes this work embedded within it, has been released as suntzu10.txt (or suntzu10.zip). This is being released only as an adjunct to that work, which contains a wealth of commentary upon this text.]
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The Art of War has 13 chapters.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. LAYING PLANS
1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance
to the State. 2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either
to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry
which can on no account be neglected. 3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant
factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. 4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline. 5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete
accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him
regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger. 7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat,
times and seasons. 8. Earth comprises distances, great and small;
danger and security; open ground and narrow passes;
the chances of life and death. 9. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom,
sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness. 10. By method and discipline are to be understood
the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions,
the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance
of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the
control of military expenditure. 11. These five heads should be familiar to every general:
he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them
not will fail. 12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking
to determine the military conditions, let them be made
the basis of a comparison, in this wise:-- 13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued
with the Moral law?
(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?
(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven
and Earth?
(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
(5) Which army is stronger?
(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
(7) In which army is there the greater constancy
both in reward and punishment? 14. By means of these seven considerations I can
forecast victory or defeat. 15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts
upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command!
The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it,
will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed! 16. While heading the profit of my counsel,
avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances
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