an analysis of sun tzu

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An Analysis of Sun Tzu's Art of War

Sun Tzu was the author of the ancient treatise on military strategy, the Art of War. Here is an analysis of

the ideas he propounded, and how it is applicable to us even today.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist and General who authored The Art of War, an ancient treatiseon military strategy, which was written about 2,500 years back. The central premise of Sun Tzu's Art of

War expounds that it is only through strategy that conflicts can be overcome and real victory achieved.

This can be applied to our lives even today. Regardless of the kind of challenges that one faces in life, by

applying the strategic principles of Sun Tzu one can achieve the following:

Being successful in relationships Becoming a master in your line of work, thus creating wealth Success in achieving whatever goals you have Dealing successfully with unforeseen challenges

The beauty of the kind of strategy, or bing-fa, as it is known in Chinese, taught by Sun Tzu is that you

win by circumventing conflicts which usually end up being too costly. In other words, Sun Tzu'sphilosophy of strategy helps you to make wiser decisions in everyday life. It will train you to get your

killer instincts under your control, reshaping it into a winning or profit-making skill.

But, how exactly does the Art of War help you to achieve all this? Strategy is the process by which we

study exactly what will work in order to overcome challenges. It is a powerful tool which helps you to

understand the thinking process of other people, which in turn assists you in predicting how they will

behave in a given situation. By training yourself in strategy, you develop the mind of a strategist, which is

able to think several steps ahead of the other people you deal with. This is what provides the winning

edge.

Even though Sun Tzu used a Chinese term which means "planning" to name the first chapter of his book,

his connotation is actually nearer to what can be called "competitive analysis" in English. In the first partof the chapter, Sun Tzu explains the main factors that form the basis of competitive structures. However,

all through the book, the interrelations between the factors are given as much importance as the factors

themselves.

There are five basic factors that make up Sun Tzu's philosophy of strategy. They are: 1. Moral Ethics

(Tao); 2. Climate or Timing (Tien); 3. Terrain or Ground (Di); 4. Leadership or Command (Jiang); 5.

Methods (Fa)

Prior to waging war, all these elements need to be examined in order to make a proper evaluation, or

planning, to achieve success.

Moral Ethics (Tao): Tao, which stands for "philosophy" or "way", is the core of factor of Sun Tzu'sprinciples. In our day-to-day lives tao can be our central mission. It can form the uniting force in a

competitive organization. If applied in business, for instance, tao helps to serve the real requirements of

people, since the mission of the business becomes centered on them. It helps to attract customers,

employees, supporters, and other associating allies. Basically, tao inculcates introspection which pointstowards the outcome of whatever action you may be contemplating on making before you actually

commit to it. When thinking strategically, this is the key factor.

Climate or Timing (Tien): The climate, or timing, in Sun Tzu's philosophy implied changes in the


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weather, seasons, temperature, etc. Although in warfare conditions the climate can be one of the most

uncontrollable factors, a good leader, or general, will know how to utilize them most advantageously. He

will pick the most opportune moment to fight, using the bad weather in such a way that it causes the most

harm to the enemy. Likewise, this can be applied in our personal lives too. In order to succeed, we must

capitalize on whatever the situation may be. Seize opportunities despite the conditions being in a state of

fluctuation, beyond our control, and turn them into advantages. The CEO of a business organization, for

instance, must be able to modify his strategies according to the fluctuations in the business or economicenvironment or climate.

Terrain or Ground (Di): The terrain or ground is the area in which military operations take place.

Although the battlefield can also be an uncontrollable factor, a good leader will know how to use it in

such a way that it is most advantageous to his own men, while being the least advantageous for the

enemy. Thus, just like the climate, one can make choices which can bring uncontrollable factors under

our control. The same principle can be applied to our daily lives. The ground, or the situation we are in, is

what we usually have to cope with. It is often where we conduct our daily battles, and what we battle

over. In order to deal with situations that are not under our control we must be flexible and adaptable, and

be able to turn them into advantages.

Leadership or Command (Jiang): By 'leadership' or 'command', Sun Tzu meant the abilities and qualities ageneral possessed. The commander is a representative of virtues like courage, wisdom, benevolence,

sincerity, and strictness. A courageous leader wins by grabbing the opportunities that come his way

without hesitating. A wise leader has the ability of recognizing changing situations and act accordingly. If

benevolent, he empathizes with his men, and appreciates their toil and diligence. When he displayssincerity, his troops are assured of their just rewards as well as punishments. With strictness, he inculcates

discipline in his men. The leader in any situation defines and creates his organizational unit by his skills

of making correct decisions and his character.

Methods (Fa): All the organizations we belong to, our systems, procedures and processes, are all elements

of the methods we adopt to survive and win. The methods we use must be effective and efficient, along

with being consistent with the central purpose of our lives or tao.

The Art of War is a combination of deep philosophy as well as detailed prescriptions for winning by

using correct tactics. The treatise begins with the direction that: "War is a matter of vital importance to the

state; the province of life and death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly

studied." Further on, Sun Tzu goes on to explain that deception forms the basis of all warfare. Hence, in

order to triumph, one must pretend to be incapable, although capable, pretend to be inactive, although

active. If you are near your enemy, make him believe you are nowhere close, if you are far from him, give

him to understand that you are close by. Sun Tzu was the pioneer of the "indirect approach" to winning in

wars. Anyone who can master both the indirect and direct approach will be able to triumph over all odds.

Although the topic of the treatise is war, but it can be applied broadly to any kind of competitive system

in life. According to Sun Tzu, triumphing over any competition was a matter of surviving odds, and that

survival was dependent on having particular skills, which can be acquired. Success in life, like in war, islargely based on the kind of relationship we have with the environments we find ourselves in, which are

often beyond our control. Sun Tzu instructed that in order to be successful, one must be able to master all

the elements that are not under our control, turning them into advantages. As Sun Tzu said: "For just as

flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes

weakness."


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On War Plot Summary

Preview ofOn War Summary:

On War (Vom Kriege) is one of the great works of military strategy and theory in history, standing among

such great works as The Art of War. On War was written by the Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz

following the Napoleonic Wars. Clausewitz had been stunned by how totally Napoleon had dominated

Europe and how he had appeared to change the nature of modern warfare, creating a larger scale war than

Europe had arguably ever seen. Thus, one purpose of On War is to break war down into its constituent

elements so that a comprehensive theory of war can be developed.

Clausewitz wrote during the age of the great imperial Nation-States in the West, prior to widespread

democratic government and following the medieval period. Thus On War concerns military conflicts

between states. It does not speak to the conflicts of civil wars, rebellion, secession or terrorism.

Clausewitz focuses on...

On War Themes

Moral vs. Physical Force

One of Clausewitz's innovations in On War is to distinguish sharply between moral and physical forces

and emphasize the importance of the moral over the physical. Physical forces include all the standard

elements in a theory of war, including strength of numbers, position, type and number of arms, territory

and timing. But moral forces include factors like moral, military virtue, military genius and so on. Whiletroops certainly need physical nourishment they also need, for instance, a stable balance between tension

and rest. Tension and rest illustrates a particularly important feature of the moral force, as it explains how

soldiers often can have their spirits broken through excessive stress through constant fighting. On the

other hand, too much rest produces its own sort of fatigue through boredom and loss of focus.

Moral forces are much harder to theorize about, in Clausewitz's opinion, as they are more variable andseem to...

On War Quotes

"War therefore is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will." (Book I, Chapter

I, 2)

"If we desire to defeat the enemy, we must proportion our efforts to his powers of resistance. This is

expressed by the product of two factors which cannot be separated, namely, the sum of available means

and the strength of the Will." (Book I, Chapter I, 5)

"War is the mere continuation of policy by other means." (Book I, Chapter I, 23)

"Now is there, then, no kind of oil which is capable of diminishing this friction? Only one, and that one is

not always available at the will of the Commander or his Army. It is the habituation of an Army to War."

(Book I, Chapter III, 81)

"The Art of War is therefore, in its proper sense, the art of making use of the given means in...


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On War Objects/Places

Prussia

The major German state that was a world power in the 18th and 19th centuries. Clausewitz was Prussian.

France

The nation which Napoleon led to many fantastic victories in the early 19th century.

The Battlefield

For Clausewitz, it is on the battlefield where every aspect of war is ultimately determined.

Friction

The many obstacles that pop up when applying theory to practice.

Strategy

The means to achieving the aim of war as a whole.

Tactics

The means to achieving victory in battle.

Military Genius

The set of character traits that make up the character of a great military commander.

Moral Powers

The spirit and energy of a leader, soldier or army which determines most of its effectiveness. Strong spirit

and moral consciousness makes an army far more effective. With a broken spirit, no army can fight for

long.

Battle

The actual, concrete acts of violence that comprise war.

War

The attempt to impose one's will on an opponent by force.

Definition of War

War

Ware; aware.


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A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenginginsults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for

obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other

purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities.

A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against

the sovereign authority is treason.

Instruments of war.

Forces; army.

The profession of arms; the art of war.

a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity;

hostility.

To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to bein a state by violence.

To contend; to strive violently; to fight.

To make war upon; to fight.

To carry on, as a contest; to wage.

war1

[wawr] Show IPA noun, verb, warred, warring, adjectivenoun

1.

a conflict carried on by force ofarms, as between nations orbetweenparties within a nation;

warfare, as by land, sea, or air.2.

astate or period of armed hostilityoractivemilitaryoperations: The two nations were at war

with each other.

3.

a contest carried on by force of arms, as in a series ofbattles or campaigns: the War of 1812.4.

active hostility or contention; conflict; contest: a war ofwords.5.

aggressive business conflict, as through severe price cutting in the sameindustry or any other

means of undermining competitors:a fare war among airlines; a trade war between nations.
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.html


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an analysis of sun tzu

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