Deciphering Sun Tzu: How to Read 'The Art of War'As the People's Republic's seemingly inexorable rise to economic and military power continues, never has the need for a better grasp of Chinese strategic thought by the West been more acute. In Deciphering Sun Tzu, Derek Yuen seeks to reclaim for the reader the hidden contours and lost Chinese and Taoist contexts of Sun Tzu's renowned treatise The Art of War, a literary classic and arguably one of the most influential books ever written. He also explains its historical, philosophical, strategic, and cross-cultural significance. His comprehensive analysis of Sun Tzu, based on a close reading of the Chinese sources, also reconstructs the philosophy, Taoist methodology and worldview that effectively form the cornerstones of Chinese strategic thinking, which are arguably as relevant today as at any moment in history. Yuen's innovative reading and analysis of Sun Tzu within and from a Chinese context is a new way of approaching the strategic master's main concepts, which he compares with those of Clausewitz, Liddell-Hart and other Western strategists. Deciphering Sun Tzu offers illuminating analysis and contextualization of The Art of War in a manner that has long been sought by Western readers and opens new means of getting to grips with Chinese strategic thought. |
Contents
Sun Tzu in the West | 1 |
1 The System of Chinese Strategic Thought | 13 |
2 The Genesis of The Art of War | 41 |
The Completion of Chinese Strategic Thought | 65 |
4 Deciphering Sun Tzu | 99 |
5 The Successors of Sun Tzu in the West | 127 |
6 On Chinese Strategic Culture | 155 |
Conclusion | 175 |
Notes | 185 |
| 201 | |
| 207 | |
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Common terms and phrases
army without fighting Art of War aspects attacking the enemy's Autumn Period battle Boyd’s ch’i Chapter Chinese and Western Chinese strategic culture Chinese strategic thought Clausewitz concept of formlessness condition-consequence approach Cultural Realism defeat the strong defense developed dialectical dimension Duke Dynasty emphasis enemy’s essence feedback force Four Schools framework Gong grand strategy Guan Zhong Hart's Ibid important indirect approach Johnston Jullien Lao Tzu Liddell Hart logic means military and strategic OODA loop Operations and Tactics philosophical political Questions and Replies Sawyer scheme School of Strategy School of Yin Seven Military Classics shih Spring and Autumn stratagem strategic thinking strategists Sun Bin Sun Tzu Sun Tzu's ideas Sun Tzu's thought Tao of deception Tao Te Ching Taoist tegic theory of strategy tion trans translation Treatise on Efficacy Tzu’s warfare water metaphor West Western strategic thought winning worldview yin and yang yin-yang