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The Art of War

🤔 Philosophy & Ethics By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated
Quick answer: The Art of War is an ancient Chinese strategy classic that urges caution about war and, where possible, victory without fighting. It is widely cited in business and negotiation.
Contents
  1. 1. The book
  2. 2. Core strategy
  3. 3. Modern use
  4. 4. References

The book

Attributed to Sun Wu, who served the state of Wu, it has 13 chapters from Laying Plans to The Use of Spies. Bamboo-slip copies found in a Han tomb at Yinqueshan, Shandong, in 1972 confirmed its antiquity.

Core strategy

  • Caution: war is vital to the state; compare sides beforehand on the five factors and seven assessments.
  • Winning without fighting: subduing the enemy without battle is the acme of skill; attacking the enemy's strategy is best.
  • Know the enemy and yourself and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.
  • Deception and weak points: all warfare is based on deception; strike where the enemy is weak.
  • Straight and surprise: engage with the orthodox, win with the unorthodox.

Modern use

It is used as a metaphor in competitor analysis, differentiation, negotiation and diplomacy, best read as principles of information and judgment rather than literal military advice.

References

  1. Sun Tzu. (1963). The Art of War (S. B. Griffith, Trans.). Oxford University Press.
  2. Ames, R. T. (Trans.). (1993). Sun-tzu: The Art of Warfare. Ballantine.
  3. Sawyer, R. D. (Trans.). (1993). The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China. Westview Press.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '손자병법' on CampusDown →
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This article was last updated on October 15, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.