by CEJames (arthor) & Akira Ichinose (editor/research assistant)
Here are some key passages from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War on the decision to go to war. I’ll note that different translations vary in wording, so these reflect commonly cited renderings:
On the gravity of the decision:
“War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life and death, the road either to survival or ruin. Hence, it is imperative that it be studied thoroughly.”
The five factors to consider before war:
“The art of war is governed by five constant factors…
- The first is moral law;
- the second, heaven;
- the third, earth;
- the fourth, the commander;
- the fifth, method and discipline.”
On calculating advantage:
“The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.”
A caution against hasty war:
“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”
On only fighting winnable wars:
“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
On the cost of war:
“No country has ever profited from a long war.”
A word of transparency:
different translations (Giles, Griffith, Cleary, Minford) render these passages somewhat differently, and with quotations under 15 words I’m representing the spirit accurately, but for scholarly or official use I’d recommend consulting a specific translation directly and citing it by translator and edition.
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