If there is ever a time that calls for immediate action and the highest level of decision-making, it is war. This is why the qualities of a president should be like that of an expert general in wartime. Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese general that commanded over one hundred thousand soldiers in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of Spring and Autumn (771 to 403 BC). In his well-renowned treatise of war, Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that a commander should stand for virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage, and strictness. Transferring this over to qualities of a president, it means a president should be wise, sincere, benevolent, brave, and strict. It would be ideal for a president to have all of these virtues though it would be unlikely and unrealistic…
A brief background of a strategic thinker: Birth name : Sun Wu Courtesy name : Sun Tzu Name means : Master sun Born : 544 BC Birth place : State of Qi, Shandong Province, China Death : 496 BC Best known for : The Art of War - Had strong interest in military and became a soldier. - Gained reputation as a good leader of soldiers. - Led the State of Wu to many victories including the capture of the Chu capital city of Ying. Main points of his/her strategic thought: - Doctrines: 1. Prepare…
Sun-Tzu believes war should be viewed as extremely important to a state. He says it is a matter of life and death, and it cannot be neglected. Sun-Tzu believed in strategizing and planning ahead, and not making rash decisions. Also, he believes that one should have a clear reason for going to war. His main point on wars is that they are based on deception, preparation, and indirect attacks. However, he wants to lose as few lives as possible in the process. Sun-Tzu says that the winning army…
in the best position to sustain victory. Sun Tzu addresses any general, but also indirectly sends his ideas out to people needing an approach towards life through a change in their mentality. Sun Tzu progresses throughout his book, The Art of War, starting with the advantages that generals can put themselves in by going through thorough pre war calculations- one key being knowing their enemy fully- while then establishing a relationship of equal importance between pre…
TAOSIM AND WARFARE In ancient China, a religious movement called Taoism began to rise up in 570 B.C. This religious movement was focused on the individual person’s ability to act or lack thereof. Around 600 B.C. a man referred to as Lao Tzu spear headed Taoism into China’s main stream religious ideology. As Taoism started to influence people in China, writers such as Sun Tzu who was a general in the Wu dynasty began to use Lao Tzu ideas on spontaneously and abjuring high ambitions to come up…
1. “He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning...” - Sun Tzu, Excerpt from The Art of War. Page 243, lines 94-96 - The place where this quotation was found Tzu, is talking about the strong and the weak points. Tzu is a tenacious warrior that won many battles, he had strong tactics to win, such as never keeping the same strategy with every opponent. Knowing your opponent’s weaknesses and strong points is the best way to shape your own troops to be…
There is a book that dates back to the 2nd century BC, which is still applied today. This book is not the bible or any other religious scripture that preaches about god or miracles. This book is a guide for those seeking to gain an upper hand in warfare. Of course the book I am talking about is Sun Tzu’s Art of War. 孫子兵法 is (supposedly) written by a strategist Sun Tzu, to teach the world of effective and time efficient military strategies during warfare. Ironically Sun Tzu considered war as a…
As said by Sun Tzu in the Art of War “The enemy must not know where I intend to give battle. For if he does not know where I intend to give battle he must prepare in a great many places. And when he prepares in a great many places, those I have to fight in any one place will be few.” This philosophy of deception was embraced by the Allies in World War II through Operation FORTITUDE as a means to defeat the German forces in one of the most well know battles of the war, the battle of Normandy or…
Sun Tzu said, “The Art of War is a road to either safety or to ruin.” Safety gives you bragging rights but ruin evicts the will to come back. To soccer aficionado, every game is like going to war. Each team prepares during warm-up to face off against their opponent. Every stretch, pass, and dribble is meticulously orchestrated to ensure victory. The general stands at attention, barking orders, and strategizing attacks. Today’s game is no different. Like the Japanese General Hideki Tojo,…
When analyzing the differences between Machiavelli and Lao-tzu’s philosophies on a ruler’s approach to war, the most realistic philosophy is the middle ground between the idealism of Lao-tzu and the cynical practicality of Machiavelli. Lao-tzu’s approach to war sometimes leads people to mistakenly believe he is a pacifist. When he is compared to Machiavelli, it is easy to view him that way. However, he cannot be called a pacifist in the true sense of the word. This is because he believes war…