Inspirational Quotes by Sun Tzu (Chinese Military Leader)

Sun Tzu (fl. c.544–496 BCE,) also Sunzi, Sun-pin, or Sun-wu, was a legendary Chinese warrior-philosopher, general, and military theorist. He is recognized as the author of The Art of War (Bingfa,) the world’s leading treatise of military strategy. It soon became influential in China and then Japan, not only for its advice on conducting and avoiding war but also for its approach to policy on the whole.

Academics speculate if Sun Tzu was a real person or a mythical figure. He is believed to be from the beginning of the Iron Age in China, about the time of Confucius. He may have been the historical Sun Wu, a military adviser at the court of King Helü of Wu (who ruled 514–496 BCE,) one of the kings in power in the Warring States period of Chinese history (sixth to fifth-century BCE.)

Sun Tzu’s narratives and contemplations in The Art of War fill barely 25 pages of text and are organized into 13 chapters. With only about six thousand Chinese characters in length, The Art of War is a much abbreviated, aphoristic text, both philosophical and pragmatic in its exposition on principles of military strategy.

Not unlike many great works of military thought, The Art of War is a blend of profound philosophy and thorough—and partly out-of-date—tactical directions. Its objective is documented in the opening sentence, “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.”

The first translation of Sun Tzu into a western language was by the French Jesuit missionary Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, published in Paris in 1772. Many European language translations emerged in the 19th century, and the influence of The Art of War spread to military academies around the world. It is thought of as a critical influence on military thinking inside and outside of Asia. Sun Tzu was immensely influential on Mao Zedong and the Soviet military system.

The Art of War is often used as a yardstick for Western political analysts to inform their work on China (particularly its cautiousness against the use of offensive force,) which is seen as being unharmonious and too pricey. Besides, the book has also been widely adapted to a business context—especially to influence interpersonal office dynamics, develop long-term business strategies, and anticipate the actions of competitors. Numerous books such as Mark R. McNeilly’s Sun Tzu and the Art of Business have applied its precepts to the fields of management, corporate politics, and negotiating.

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