The Art of War
by Sunzi (1875–1958)
- Free to read
- 45 min read
- 13 chapters
- Reading level: 8th & 9th grade
"The Art of War" by active 6th century B.C. Sunzi is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the 5th century BC. Composed of 13 chapters, each addresses different aspects of warfare, military strategy, and tactics. The work emphasizes intelligence operations, environmental conditions, and discipline. For centuries, it has profoundly influenced military thinking across East and West, shaping the strategies of commanders from ancient Chinese kings to modern generals, and remains one of history's most influential texts on strategy.
- Military art and science · Early works to 1800
- War · Early works to 1800
Read the opening
I. Laying Plans
1. Sun Tzŭ said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.
3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.
5, 6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
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About this edition
This free edition of The Art of War by Sunzi comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #17405, released 2005-12-28. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: History - Warfare.
Other editions: eBook #132 (most read).
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
