The Dialectical Thinking of Sunzi
3 min readThe rich philosophical thought in Sunzi’s Art of War has aroused greater and greater attention from scholars of ancient Chinese philosophy.
Situations of war are changeable at every moment, perhaps the most changeable of all things in the world. To win a war, the commander must be able to keep abreast of and adapt to such changes. Sunzi said,”There is no fixed way of using force, just as there is no fixed form to water. He who can win a victory by adapting to changes in enemy forces is a master of the art of war.”Sunzidraws special attention to the changing dynamics in the opposite direction, saying,”Chaos compares with order, cowardice with bravery, and weakness with strength.”These contrasting situations may change into their opposites.
Thus, it is not uncommon for an army to turn failure into victory or vice versa.
Sunzi reminded commanders to consider gains and losses from both positive and negative sides. He said,”Some routes can be taken but should not be, some enemy troops are vulnerable but should not be attacked, some enemy cities can be captured but should not be, and some enemy territory can be obtainedbut should not be.”This is a warning to commanders to be aware not only of potential gains but also of potential losses. Sunzi further advised commanders,”Do not intercept the enemy on their retreat to their home country, leave a gap when besieging the enemy, and do not approach a desperate enemy.”In other words, Sunzi was against going beyond the limits in military operations, because things would turn into their opposites once they reached their extreme.
In analyzing changes in opposing factors in war, Sunzi also emphasized pushing them into their opposites for the benefit of one’s own troops. He said,”When we know the enemy situation but they do not know ours, we can keep our troops together while they have to keep them separate. Now that our troops arein one place while the enemy troops are dispersed in ten places, we can strike them with tenfold force. In this way, our troops enjoy an absolute majority while the enemy suffers an absolute minority.”Sunzi’s Art of War is full of such dialectical thinking. Sunzi said,”By taking a tortuous route deliberately while tempting the enemy with small gains, we can arrive earlier despite having started later than the enemy. This is the strategy of turning a tortuous route into a straight one.”As a kind of synopsis, Sunzi said,”The expert commander is able to make the enemy follow his direction, not the other way round.”Sunzi’s Cautions Against War
As a military classic, Sunzi’s Art of War provides a complete set of strategiesand tactics for winning a war. Paradoxically, the book does not encourage rulersto be bellicose but rather warns them again and again to refrain from waging a war without careful consideration.
At the very beginning, the book points out,”The use of force is a matter of life or death for the soldiers, the people and the country.”Such a matter can never be taken lightly. At the end of the book, Sunzi raised the warning once more,
“A head of state must not wage a war spurred by a momentary anger, and the commander and general must not wage a war spurred by a momentary bad mood. They must take into consideration overall national interests for declaring war or desisting from war. Anger can turn into delight and a bad mood can change into a good mood, but a country lost is lost forever and those killed are dead forever. Therefore,a wise ruler must handle matters of war with extreme care, and good commanders and generals must handle them with the greatest caution as well. This is the cardinal principle for safeguarding the country and the army.”
