Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the religious and spiritual roots of Chinese Taoism found in the military treatise "The Art of War." The paper explains the basic tenets of Taoism and Sun Tzu's connection to the religion. The reviewer also addresses the book's paradox that Taoism is a peaceful religion, yet the work is about war. The reviewer states that traditional Taoist concepts emerge from discussions of battle tactics and troop movements. The paper also discusses Taoist views on duality such as the ying-yang and the art of wu wei. The paper concludes by stating that although Taoism is traditionally viewed as a peaceful religion, it recognizes that life involves conflict, but that the wise man can mediate this conflict and control it so that it is least destructive and most productive.

From the Paper:

"Basically, Taoism is an ancient Chinese spiritual tradition that can be roughly translated as "the way of life." It provides loose proscriptions for how individuals can live in harmony with their surroundings and with their fellow man. But like any good philosophy, Taoism contains a few key tenets that are common throughout all of the writings on the subject. Chief among these include the idea that one should remain immovable and allow events to flow over and around oneself, that one should try to balance the opposite but complementary forces of the universe (yin and yang), and the art of "wu wei," which can be roughly translated as action through inaction or accomplishing goals through the least effort (Wilson). At its heart, Taoism recognizes that there is conflict inherent in life, that the competition for limited resources will inevitably lead to conflicts, but that this conflict naturally takes the form of a universal balance that human beings can imitate in their own endeavors (Cantrell 13). This realization is the point on which Sun Tzu is able to use Taoist philosophy to describe warfare. In other words, he uses the notion that conflict can be balanced and harmonious in dictating the way in which wars can best be fought."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cantrell, Robert L. Understanding Sun Tazu on the Art of War. Arlington, VA: Center for Advantage, 2003.
• Evans-Campbell, Brent. "The Art of Strategy." 1999. 9 April 2007 <http://www.langara.bc.ca/prm/1999/strategy.html>.
• Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Ed. James Clavell. New York: Delacorte Press, 1983.
• Wilson, Jaret. "The Tao of War." 4Literature.net. 28 July 2002. 9 April 2007 <http://www.4literature.net/story/2002/7/28/114855/249>.

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• Book Review # 116685 : "Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"

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