Li Ling, The Only Rule: Sun Tzu's Philosophy of Struggle (TRANSLATION DRAFT)

Although the Giles translation of Sun Tzu is in some ways outdated, there is one aspect of his scholarship that has yet to be surpassed by contemporary efforts; the unparalleled collection of footnotes that accompany the original translation. Totaling 585 in number, they reveal the then 35-year old to also be a military historian of impressive breadth and depth, covering topics both ancient and modern, Eastern and Western. Detailing the exploits of commanders as diverse as Tian Dan, Li Guangbi, Hannibal, Cromwell, Napoleon, and Stonewall Jackson, there was no corner of the martial pantheon too distant for Giles not to draw a parallel between their actions and Sun Tzu’s writings. To this day, Giles’s footnotes alone would provide a solid foundation for the literature review section of a dissertation on military leadership.

Real advises on how to prepare for life according to Chinese war strategies.

IAR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2022

This paper explains that one of the theories in Sun Tzu's art of war can be applied in various aspects of life related to solving problems or conflicts through peace. In this paper, the theory of the "sheathed sword" as the highest skill will be juxtaposed with free and active politics related to the pattern used in world peace efforts. The principle of free and active in Sun Tzu's art of war is described as the collaboration of two reliable ways to acquire a supreme skill. This paper will also describe how Sun Tzu's art of war becomes a reference for various aspects of conflict resolution and how free and active politics sees it as an art of "war" with the highest skill.

Parameters, 2019

The notion that Sun Tzu represents the multifaceted brilliance and timeless appeal of Amadeus to Clausewitz’s dour and overwrought Salieri maintains a powerful grip over our collective imagination. But does this accurately reflect the state of contemporary Sun Tzu analysis? Have we truly figured this text out to the point where we have reached consensus over its relevance? Dissenting from the majority opinion, which seems to effortlessly commune with this enigmatic founding father of military strategic thought, I argue that we haven’t yet come close to fully cataloguing the good, the bad, and just plain ugly within this endlessly fascinating, but ultimately flawed document.

My intention here is to look forward rather than backward, by assessing potential contributions of Sunzi’s implicit philosophy in contemporary times. As Sunzi advises, we would do well to take the topic of war seriously, and carefully consider the winning ways his text recommends. Reexamining the text and its implications, both philosophical and practical, illuminates an important warp thread in the fabric of Chinese culture. Furthermore, with the able assistance of Laozi’s Daoist philosophy, I apply a form of Creative Hermeneutics to translate the underlying message about what constitutes winning, and losing, into a form relevant to our individual lives as well as the global crises we currently face. To accomplish these tasks I present my remarks under the following headings: I. Common Misperceptions of Sunzi as War Advocate; II. Reading Sunzi as a Proponent of Peace; III. A Philosophical Expansion of Sunzi’s Message (including discussions of competition, warfare, leadership, diplomacy, and dao).

Small Wars Journal, 2019

When it comes to the topic of Sun Tzu, otherwise meticulous scholars throw caution and skepticism to the wind. Misattribution, reliance on unverified commentators, and highly dubious pronouncements plague countless contemporary writings on the Chinese general and his work. Sun Tzu analysis becomes more about what people feel in their gut, and quickly devolves into insight that no credible footnote can support. These issues are so widespread that it can no longer be viewed as a simple case of dereliction in editing. There exists a systemic issue with how strategists and academics analyze The Art of War, and we need to recalibrate our approach to the book.